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Bourgeois Hinduism, or Faith of the Modern Vedantists: Rare Discourses from Early Colonial Bengal
Contributor(s): Hatcher, Brian (Author)

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 ISBN: 0195326083     ISBN-13: 9780195326086
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
OUR PRICE: $48.25  

Binding Type: Hardcover - See All Available Formats & Editions
Published: November 2007
* Out of Print *

Annotation: In 1839 a group of Hindu elite gathered in Calcutta to share and propagate their faith in a non-idolatrous form of worship. The group, known as the Tattvabodhinl Sabha, met weekly to worship and hear discourses from members on ways to promote a rational and morally responsible mode of worship.
They called upon ancient sources of Hindu spirituality to guide them in developing a modern form of theism they referred to as "Vedanta." In this book, Brian Hatcher situates the theology and moral vision set forth in these hitherto unknown discourses against the backdrop of religious and social
change in early colonial Calcutta. In doing so, he demonstrates how the theology of the Tattvabodhinl Sabha legitimated the worldly interests of Calcutta's emergent bourgeoisie. This 'bourgeois Vedanta' sanctioned material prosperity while providing members with a means of spiritual fulfillment.
Hatcher's important study includes the first ever complete, annotated translation of Sabhyadiger vaktrta, the earliest extant record of the Tattvabodhinl Sabha. The translation is supplemented with a detailed analysis of the text demonstrating that its twenty-one unsigned discourses were composed by
such major figures in nineteenth-century Bengal as Debendranath Tagore, Isvaracandra Vidyasagara, Isvaracandra Gupta, and Aksayakumara Datta. In many cases, these are the earliest known writings we have for such individuals.
This rare set of discourses provides Hatcher with an opportunity to explore a decisive moment in the construction of modern Vedanta, and to comment on the concerns this Vedantic movement raised for contemporary Christian observers. Hatcher is able to demonstrate the decisive roleplayed by the
Tattvabodhinl Sabha in both reviving and reformulating the teachings of Rammohan Roy, the founder of Vedantic reform in colonial India. At the same time, Hatcher suggests that the earliest members of the Sabha are best viewed as 'Brhamos without Rammohan.' Only later would they look to Rammohan as
their founding father.
Apart from bringing to light the guiding ideals of an association that was to have a profound influence on religious and intellectual life in nineteenth-century Bengal, Hatcher's analysis will promote reflection on a variety of topics central to understanding the development of modern forms of Hindu
belief and practice.
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- Religion | Hinduism - History
- Religion | Hinduism - Theology
- History | Asia - India & South Asia
Dewey: 294.556
LCCN: 2007010414
Physical Information: 0.9" H x 6.1" W x 9.3" L (1.20 lbs) 240 pages
Themes:
- Cultural Region - Indian
- Religious Orientation - Hindu
- Chronological Period - 1800-1850
Features: Annotated, Bibliography, Dust Cover, Illustrated, Index, Table of Contents
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:
In 1839 a diverse group of Hindu leaders began gathering in Calcutta to share and propagate their faith in a non-idolatrous form of worship. The group, known as the Tattvabodhini Sabha, met weekly to worship and hear discourses from members on the virtues of a rational and morally responsible
mode of worship. They called upon ancient sources of Hindu spirituality to guide them in developing a form of modern theism they referred to as Vedanta. In this book, Brian Hatcher translates these hitherto unknown discourses and situates them against the backdrop of religious and social change in
early colonial Calcutta. Apart from bringing to light the theology and moral vision of an association that was to have a profound influence on religious and intellectual life in nineteenth-century Bengal, Hatcher's analysis promotes reflection on a variety of topics central to understanding the
development of modern forms of Hindu belief and practice.
 
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