Reformist Sects and the Sociology of Religion in India

In contrast to sectarian movements in Western religious traditions, the reformist sects of India have tended to remain anchored to the cultural mainstream and have perpetuated a distinction between virtuosi and lay participants. Even the clearly separate movements of Sikhism, Jainism, and Bhakti hav...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Venugopal, C. N. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: [publisher not identified] 1990
In: Sociological analysis
Year: 1990, Volume: 51, Pages: S77-S88
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Parallel Edition:Non-electronic
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Summary:In contrast to sectarian movements in Western religious traditions, the reformist sects of India have tended to remain anchored to the cultural mainstream and have perpetuated a distinction between virtuosi and lay participants. Even the clearly separate movements of Sikhism, Jainism, and Bhakti have benefited from a generalized religious tolerance and have played a full part in Indian public life. A review of major contributions to the sociological understanding of Indian religions shows that reformist sects have been central to political reform. But it is only in the recent past that growing demands for ideological conversion at the individual level have generated intercommunal conflicts and intolerance.
ISSN:2325-7873
Contains:Enthalten in: Sociological analysis
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.2307/3711676