Gandhi: a man for our times?

Following my earlier collaboration with Martin Prozesky, my essay links with three major concerns in Prozesky's work as he has engaged with a radical critique of religious traditions and structures in the South African context of the end of apartheid: the involvement of dominant religious tradi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal for the study of religion
Main Author: Brown, Judith M. 1944- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: ASRSA [2018]
In: Journal for the study of religion
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Prozesky, Martin 1944- / Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand 1869-1948 / Africa / Apartheid / State / Citizen / Religion / Religious practice
RelBib Classification:AD Sociology of religion; religious policy
AG Religious life; material religion
BK Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism
KBN Sub-Saharan Africa
Further subjects:B Apartheid
B M.K. Gandhi
B Religious Tradition
B Violence
B Hindu Tradition
B Religious Structures
B Caste
B Gender
B Truth
B Inequality
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Description
Summary:Following my earlier collaboration with Martin Prozesky, my essay links with three major concerns in Prozesky's work as he has engaged with a radical critique of religious traditions and structures in the South African context of the end of apartheid: the involvement of dominant religious traditions in sustaining power structures and inequality; the nexus between religious beliefs and organizations and violence; and the failure of many ‘religions' to meet the needs of serious seekers after meaning and truth. In this context, I examine the life and thought of M.K. Gandhi, particularly the way he addressed the nature of India and its problems as British imperial rule ended. It also focuses on Gandhi's critique of Hindu tradition as a powerful buttress of profound social inequality particularly relating to caste and gender; his response to violence in the name of religion and community; and finally his underlying belief that true religion was the individual's search for the divine and that all religious traditions by contrast have very partial visions of truth. Finally, in my view, Gandhi should be seen not just as an important historical figure but very much as a man for our times also.Keywords: Religious tradition, religious structures, apartheid, inequality, violence, truth, M.K. Gandhi, Hindu tradition, caste, gender
ISSN:2413-3027
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal for the study of religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.17159/2413-3027/2018/v31n1a6