News

Hinduism and Modernity

Birmingham Friends Event
Saturday, 15 March 2014 - 6:30pm to 8:30pm

A talk by Shaunaka Rishi Das of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies

In modern, secular society Hinduism is sometimes regarded as backward looking and the source of conflict and communalism. On this view, as scientific knowledge and technology develop, Hinduism will fade into the past and people will leave behind a superstitious phase of their development. Yet in spite of this assumption Hindu culture continues to exert force in the contemporary world.

Friends Event: Hinduism and Modernity

Leicester Friends Event
Saturday, 1 March 2014 - 6:30pm to 9:00pm

A talk by Shaunaka Rishi Das of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies

In modern, secular society Hinduism is sometimes regarded as backward looking and the source of conflict and communalism. On this view, as scientific knowledge and technology develop, Hinduism will fade into the past and people will leave behind a superstitious phase of their development. Yet in spite of this assumption Hindu culture continues to exert force in the contemporary world.

Leicester Holi Yatra 2014

Leicester Friends Event
Sunday, 16 March 2014 (All day)

The word yatra usually refers to treks to holy cities – in India. In Leicester, however, the Friends of the OCHS take a different approach to this ancient religious practice.

On Sunday 16 March, the Friends will conduct their annual Holi Yatra. On the auspicious day of Holi, this sponsored walk will start at 8:30 am (registration starts at 8:00), taking participants on a 13 mile walk to visit the following 12 temples:

  • Jalaram Mandir (starting point)
  • Jain Centre
  • Hare Krishna temple
  • Shri Shirdi Sai Baba temple
  • Geeta Bhavan
  • Radhe Krishna Mandir
  • Hindu Mandir
  • Sanatan Mandir
  • Swaminarayan Mandir (BAPS)

Forthcoming title: Caitanya Vaisnava Philosophy

22 January 2014

Sixteenth century scholar-saint Caitanya has inspired many a Krishna devotee over the years. His message made its way from east India, travelling around the world, and reaching millions. 

Dr. Ravi Gupta, alumnus of OCHS and Charles Redd Chair of Religious Studies at Utah State University, has compiled a volume on Caitanya’s Vaisnava tradition, titled Caitanya Vaisnava Philosophy: Tradition, Reason, and Devotion. 

Noted contributors include Joseph T. O’Connell, former OCHS academic director, and Kenneth Valpey and Kiyokazu Okita, OCHS alumni. 

It begins with an introduction by Professor

This term's Shivdasani Fellow: Prof. Sushil Mittal

20 January 2014

The OCHS is pleased to welcome Prof. Sushil Mittal as this term's Shivdasani Visitng Fellow.

Prof. Mittal is a Professor of Religion in the Philosophy and Religion department at James Madison University in Virginia, USA.  A cultural anthropologist by training and education, he has previously held positions on the faculty of University of Florida in Gainesville and Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. At JMU, he served as the Founding Director of the Mahatma Gandhi Center for Global Nonviolence, a post he held for five years, from 2005 to 2010.

Prof.

Bloomsbury Companion to Hindu Studies released today

15 January 2014

In a field as varied as Hindu Studies the need for a comprehensive guide has become urgent. OCHS Fellow, Dr. Jessica Frazier, has risen to the occasion as Editor of the Bloomsbury Companion to Hindu Studies.

This research guide, contains a foreword by Professor Gavin Flood, OCHS Academic Director, as well as sections that cover topics of historical and contemporary interest.

Part I, the introduction, discusses new perspectives on Hinduism. Parts II and III, on reading paths and the history of Hindu studies, respectively. Part IV contains essays specially commissioned for this volume 

Ayurveda and the Hindu Philosophical Systems

Leicester Friends Event
Saturday, 11 January 2014 - 6:30pm to 9:00pm

A talk by Ramesh Pattni of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies

Ayurveda is perhaps the oldest system of human medicine and looks at the human being in a holistic manner. What are the core principles of this system and how do they relate to the philosophical systems of thought in Hinduism? We look at Ayurveda and consider its place in these systems of thought.

Friends Event: Understanding the Perfect Hindu Scripture: An Exploration of the Bhagavad-gita

Birmingham Friends Event
Saturday, 18 January 2014 - 3:00pm to 5:00pm

A talk by Gopal Patel of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies

In 2009 the OCHS launched the Bhumi Project, an international initiative to encourage Hindus to address environmental concerns, including climate change. Since then the Project has developed partnerships with interested parties in Africa, Europe and India. Initiatives include the Green Temple programme, which was launched at the White House in 2011, and the Green Pilgrimage Network - an effort to make pilgrim sites across India environmentally friendly.

Friends Event: Speaking of Shiva: eko hi rudro na dvitiyaya tashtuh

Birmingham Friends Event
Saturday, 7 December 2013 - 3:00pm to 5:00pm

A talk by Dr Nick Sutton of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies

Most Hindus will at various times in the year offer their devotion to Shiva but there is also a rich tradition, stretching back to the Vedas and Upanishads, which regards Shiva as the one Supreme Deity standing above all others, including even Vishnu and Krishna.  Over the centuries Shaivism has taken on a number of different forms and in this talk Nick Sutton will consider the nature of the Shaiva tradition, past and present, and the significance of Shiva for Hinduism today.

OCHS Publications – The Truth Within

14 November 2013

What is truth? How does it relate to our understanding of the inner self? What role does religion play in this intersection between the two? Professor Gavin Flood, Academic Director of OCHS, explores these questions in his book The Truth Within: A History of Inwardness in Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism.  

Part I focuses on the history and texts pertaining to inwardness, and the role of religion in shaping one’s inner reality. In Part II, he analyses the theory and phenomenology of inwardness, and engages in a comparison of three world religions. Integral to the volume is the idea of an

Sitting at the Guru's feet: Teachers, students and education in the Upanisads

Birmingham Friends Event
Saturday, 2 November 2013 - 3:00pm to 5:00pm

A talk by Dr Rembert Lutjeharms of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies

The Upanisads are among the most influential Hindu sacred texts. Though often cryptic, they form the foundation of Vedantic discourse, and still influence the religious imagination of countless spiritual seekers, both traditional and modern. Its 'secret' teachings are often presented through the voices of Vedic teachers, and the roles these teachers play is central to these teachings.

Focusing on the stories found in these religious texts, this talk will explore the character of the Upanisadic gurus, the roles they

How to be God: A Tour through the many Vedantas

Leicester Friends Event
Saturday, 26 October 2013 - 6:30pm to 9:00pm

A talk by Dr Jessica Frazier of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies.

Just how close are we to the divine, and just what role do we play for God?

Are we part of the divine ocean? God’s body? Movements in God’s dance, or notes in a divine song? Or just isolated mirrors of the divine light?

Thinkers from Sankara to Caitanya, Vivekananda and Gandhi have debated these issues - and our relations to other people, our relationship with the divine, and our hopes for Moksha all depend on the answer. In this session we visit the Gallery of Vedantas, and see which one wins your vote.