インドの約80％の国民が信仰するヒンドゥー教。インド最古の文献で、ヒンドゥー教の聖典とされる『ヴェ−ダ』と同じく聖典扱いされているインドの叙事詩『ラーマーヤナ』の重要性を検証するほか、現代社会における女性と被差別者（不可触民）なども考察します。改訂新版ではさらにソーシャルメディアが今日のヒンドゥー教に与える影響、ポップカルチャーでの扱われ方、発展著しいインドの社会状況や政治とも絡め、ヒンドゥー教が今日抱える問題を分析しています。(cf. Indian Philosophy, #047; Indian Cinema, #483; Modern India, #540)
   

• Offers a succinct and accessible introduction to one of the world's major religions
• Covers all aspects of Hinduism - its key texts, beliefs, and practices, both in the past and the present
• Addresses contemporary concerns for Hindus such as changes in the use of IT and social media, and the ways in which this has transformed global communications in the Hindu diaspora and Hindu practice
• Offers up to date analysis of recent debates on early India, Aryans, and the Veda, reflecting the increasing politicization of Hinduism and rise of identity politics

  
Hinduism is practised by nearly eighty per cent of India's population, and by some seventy million people outside India. In this Very Short Introduction, Kim Knott offers a succinct and authoritative overview of this major religion, and analyses the challenges facing it in the twenty-first century. She discusses key preoccupations of Hinduism such as the centrality of the Veda as religious texts, the role of Brahmins, gurus, and storytellers in the transmission of divine truths, and the cultural and moral importance of epics such as the Ramayana. 

In this second edition Knott considers the impact of changes in technology and the flourishing of social media on Hinduism, and looks at the presence of Hinduism in popular culture, considering pieces such as Sita Sings the Blues. She also analyses recent developments in India, and the impact issues such as Hindu nationalism and the politicization of Hinduism have on Hindus worldwide.