Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Hinduism at AAR?!?

Ancient India at the AAR: Are Ancient Hindu Texts, and Traditions Irrelavant for Understanding Modern Hinduism?



I attended the recently concluded AAR (American Academy of Religion) Annual Conference at Chicago, Nov 16-20, 2012, as a scholar of Hinduism. 'What is Hinduism?" asked the hotel clerk who helped me check in as I tried to explain to her about the purpose of my visit to Chicago. I was confounded with the same or similar question, which continued to repeat itself continually for the next three days, more than once a day sometimes during my stay in Chicago. There were a variety of presentations on Hinduism, Yoga and comparative studies on Hinduism, which would be discussed below, but traditional Hinduism is missing from AAR. It seemed AAR itself is wresting with the idea of Hinduism, and coming to grips with the definition and finding balance between different aspects of Hinduism.
While AAR (American Academy of Religion) panel presentations on Hinduism focused on understanding contemporary practices of Hinduism, especially that of Hinduism abroad, DANAM (Dharma Academy of North America) panels focused on philosophical and ethical aspects of Hinduism, and interaction of Hinduism with other Indian and international religions. However, what seemed to be presented about Hinduism at this year's conference overall is that it showed a dedicated focus to current events, and modern ethics with emphasis on current events. It is not clear if this was intentional or merely coincidental, that some of the panels' titles read like newspaper headlines and address issues from recent news coverage. For example, "Its the End of the World as We Know it," or "My Kundalini Made Me do It," sound as catchy as news headlines or movies titles. The Hinduism Group's panel presentations address texts, deities (major or minor), or ritual Hinduism indirectly, since contemporary understandings of Hinduism organized around thematic subjects predominate this year's panels. For example, the following panel presentations including, "Is There a Tradition of Change in Hinduism?" or "Authority, Tradition and Innovation in Hindu Traditions," focuses not on original themes from any religious texts, but transmission, while "Modern Social Interpretation of Bhakti Traditions," examines modern adaptations of Bhakti practices rather than theological or ritual questions of Bhakti in relation to Hinduism. Another panel, "Religion, Toleration, Progress: "Liberalism In and Against Hindu Thought," jointly organized by Hinduism Group with Liberal Theologies Group is an examination of Hinduism through the understandings of Liberal Theology. Anyone attending panel presentations of Hinduism at this year's conference would not be mistaken to think that Hinduism as a modern religion is an independent phenomenon, barely related to its textual, philosophical and theological strands.
Religion in South Asia Section panels address general issues from Indian Religions, and also focus on modern and contemporary themes. The panels, "Re-figuring Bodies That Matter: Sex, Gender, and Alternative Bodily Identities in South Asian Tradition," "Indian Religions and the Limits of Royal Patronage," "In Good Taste: Aesthetics and South Asian Religion," show this partisan approach to modern culture of India. While the joint panel organized by Religion in South Asia Section with Science, Technology and Religion Group, addresses "Religion and Science in South Asia," which is another approach to understanding modern cultural approaches of India.
A number of panels also included panel presentations on Yoga, which also included some panels addressing contemporary concerns: "My Kundalini Made Me Do It: The Intersection of Yoga, Psychology, and Medicine," and "The Commodification of Yoga," and "Innovation and Transformation in North American Yoga". The film, "Yoga Inc.," goes well with the presentation panels on Yoga. Anyone attending these panels, having watched the film would leave with a sense of clear understanding of Yoga as it transformed itself in modern day America.
Other panels address the relationship of Hinduism with other religions as Hindu-Christian, Hindu-Judaic Studies Groups. Society for Hindu Christian Studies panel, “Interreligious Ritual Participation: Reverence, Flippancy and Betrayal," brings together papers not only from different religious traditions, but also from across different time, space and political traditions.
The DANAM panels also included comparative studies such as: "Hindu Dharma, Yoga, and the East-West Transmission," "InterDharma, IntraDharma, and Interfaith Dialogue as Forms of Transmitting Dharma," and "Kundalini Yoga Movement of Yogi Bhajan".
While the conference is productive and successful in showcasing the contemporary research strides made in recent years on the subject of Hinduism through its thematic panels, it would have been helpful to include panels on primary sources of Hinduism and global Hinduism. 

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