15-16世紀インドのパンジャブ地方で始まったシーク教は、2000万人の信徒を持つ世界で五番目に大きな宗教です。それにも拘わらず、アメリカの同時多発テロ事件以降はイスラーム教徒に間違われ攻撃の対象にされるなど、あまりよく知られていないようです。その興味深い歴史をたどりながら、教義、慣習、儀式、行事を紹介し、今日のシーク教信者のアイデンティティや、その果たすべき役割について考察する、格好の入門書です。
   

• Provides a wide-ranging, authoritative presentation of Sikh thought and history with sensitivity and balance, without avoiding controversial aspects
• Introduces readers to current and emerging issues for Sikhs today
• Builds on previous research and draws on the most recent theories to provide an introduction that is current and relevant

 
The Sikh religion has a following of over 20 million people worldwide. However,events such as the verbal and physical attacks on Sikhs just after September 11, where Sikhs were being mistaken for Muslims, suggest that the Sikh faith still remains mysterious to many.

This Very Short Introduction introduces newcomers to the meaning of the Sikh religious tradition, its teachings, practices, rituals and festivals. Eleanor Nesbitt highlights and contextualizes the key threads in the history of Sikhism, from the first Gurus to martyrdom, militarization, and the increasingly significant diaspora. Examining gender, caste, and the changes that are currently underway in the faith, Nesbitt considers contemporary Sikh identities and their role in our world.