Hinduism – belief, politics and culture

Hinduism’s long and diverse tradition encompasses ritual, philosophy, law, and cultural expression shaped over millennia. It has profoundly influenced South Asian societies and continues to evolve globally through migration, diaspora and cultural exchange. Hindu identity today is deeply entangled with debates about secularisation, modernity, globalisation, and interreligious dialogue, as well as structural issues such as caste, poverty, and inequality. Hindu nationalism plays a growing role in Indian domestic and international politics, often in tension with pluralism and with the position of religious minorities such as Muslims and Christians.

This Collection welcomes contributions from across the humanities, social sciences, and related disciplines that explore Hinduism as a lived religion, a political and cultural force, and a source of intellectual, artistic, and social expression. 

Perspectives on Jainism and Sikhism, given their historical and cultural connections to Hinduism, will also be considered within scope.

We particularly welcome papers on the following themes:

1. Sociology of Hinduism

• Religious practice and everyday life: ritual, temple worship, festivals, pilgrimage, yoga, and devotional practice (bhakti).
• Caste, community, and social structure: caste as a social and religious category, its role in shaping inequality, and movements for reform.
• Identity and belonging: Hindu identity in majority and minority contexts, including diaspora communities and processes of integration.
• Hinduism, modernity, and secularisation: reform movements, reinterpretations of tradition, and the rise of new Hindu movements.
• Migration and diaspora: the global spread of Hindu communities, transnational networks, and adaptation of practices abroad.
• Youth and generational change: Hindu education, intergenerational transmission, and changing modes of religiosity.
• Gender and family: women’s roles, masculinity, kinship, intermarriage, and household rituals.
• Interreligious relations: Hindu encounters with Islam, Christianity, and other traditions in pluralist societies.
• Poverty and inequality: intersections of Hindu belief and practice with economic structures, development, and social mobility.

2. Political science and Hinduism

• Religion and the state: Hindu law, religious institutions, and governance in South Asia.
• Nationalism and identity politics: Hindutva, Hindu nationalism, and their role in shaping political discourse.
• Diaspora politics: lobbying, communal organisations, and political mobilisation in global Hindu communities.
• Democracy, secularism, and pluralism: debates over religious freedom, multiculturalism, and state neutrality.
• Conflict and security: communal violence, interreligious tensions with Muslims and Christians, and security challenges.
• Religious law and governance: debates about personal law, reform, and plural legal systems.
• Political thought: classical Hindu texts (Arthashastra, Dharmaśāstra, Bhagavad Gita) and modern Hindu political philosophy.
• Global politics and diplomacy: Hinduism as soft power, cultural diplomacy, and India’s role in international relations.

3. Cultural studies and Hinduism

• Representation and media: portrayals of Hindus and Hinduism in literature, film, Bollywood, television, journalism, and digital media.
• Mythology and narrative: reinterpretations of the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranic traditions in modern contexts.
• Art, music, and aesthetics: devotional music, visual arts, dance, and the globalisation of yoga and meditation.
• Gender and sexuality: feminist theology, women’s roles in Hindu traditions, masculinity, queer Hindu identities, and intersectionality.
• Diaspora, hybridity, and cultural exchange: Hindu identity in multicultural contexts, hybridity, and global cultural flows.
• Colonialism and postcolonialism: orientalist constructions of Hinduism and critiques from postcolonial and decolonial theory.
• Memory and trauma: Partition, communal violence, migration, and cultural memory.
• Globalisation and identity: redefinitions of Hinduism in an interconnected world.
• Interreligious cultural exchange: Hindu contributions to and borrowings from Islam, Christianity, and secular cultures.