Humanities 130 Hinduism Paper
Hinduism Paper
HUMANITIES 130
Hinduism is a diverse body of religion, philosophy, and cultural practice native to and predominant in India, characterized by a belief in reincarnation and a supreme being of many forms and natures, by the view that opposing theories are aspects of one eternal truth, and by a desire for liberation from earthly evils (GodWeb, n.d.). In this paper I will further explore what the Hindu religion is encompassed of. And delve into what makes the religion of Hinduism vital to the region it is originated in. Hinduism differs from Christianity and other monotheistic religions in that it does not have a single founder, a specific theological system, a single concept of deity, a single holy text, a single system of morality, a central religious authority, the concept of a prophet. Hinduism is not a religion in the same sense as Christianity is; it is more like an all encompassing way of life (Robinson, 1995-2010). Because Hinduism has such a vast amount of traditions, freedom of belief and practice are notable factors of Hinduism. Hinduism is generally regarded as the world's oldest organized religion. Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion, after Christianity and Islam. It claims about 950 million followers, about 14 percent of the world’s population. It is the dominant religion in India, Nepal, and among the Tamil in Sri Lanka (Robinson, 1995-2010). It consists of "thousands of different religious groups that have evolved in India since 1500 BCE ". (Levinson, 1998). Overall, Hinduism is an umbrella term for many different traditions. Cultural and societal influences made Hinduism vital to the region in which it originated by numerous traditions and social systems that were adhered by the people of India or fellow adepts of Hinduism. Culturally, Hinduism contains various myths that implied the countless faces of the divine to interact in various forms with people. In cultural traditions the divine or deities would
HUMANITIES 130
Hinduism is a diverse body of religion, philosophy, and cultural practice native to and predominant in India, characterized by a belief in reincarnation and a supreme being of many forms and natures, by the view that opposing theories are aspects of one eternal truth, and by a desire for liberation from earthly evils (GodWeb, n.d.). In this paper I will further explore what the Hindu religion is encompassed of. And delve into what makes the religion of Hinduism vital to the region it is originated in. Hinduism differs from Christianity and other monotheistic religions in that it does not have a single founder, a specific theological system, a single concept of deity, a single holy text, a single system of morality, a central religious authority, the concept of a prophet. Hinduism is not a religion in the same sense as Christianity is; it is more like an all encompassing way of life (Robinson, 1995-2010). Because Hinduism has such a vast amount of traditions, freedom of belief and practice are notable factors of Hinduism. Hinduism is generally regarded as the world's oldest organized religion. Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion, after Christianity and Islam. It claims about 950 million followers, about 14 percent of the world’s population. It is the dominant religion in India, Nepal, and among the Tamil in Sri Lanka (Robinson, 1995-2010). It consists of "thousands of different religious groups that have evolved in India since 1500 BCE ". (Levinson, 1998). Overall, Hinduism is an umbrella term for many different traditions. Cultural and societal influences made Hinduism vital to the region in which it originated by numerous traditions and social systems that were adhered by the people of India or fellow adepts of Hinduism. Culturally, Hinduism contains various myths that implied the countless faces of the divine to interact in various forms with people. In cultural traditions the divine or deities would
Cited: GodWeb. (n.d.). What is Hinduism? One God or Many? Retrieved from http://www.godweb.org/whatishinduism.htm Robinson, B.A. (1995-2010). Hinduism: The world 's third largest religion. Retrieved from http://www.religioustolerance.org/hinduism.htm Cimpean, A. (n.d.). A brief history of Hinduism. Retrieved from http://www.helium.com/items/953157-a-brief-history-of-hinduism?