Hindu Bhakti Through Muslim Eyes

Islam and Caitanya Vaiṣṇavism in the Twenty-First Century

R. David Coolidge

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2025
• eBook ISBN: 9781040356678
• Edition: 0
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Hinduism

Hindu Bhakti Through Muslim Eyes puts the Caitanya Vai??ava tradition of devotion to Krishna in scholarly conversation with Islam for the first time. It builds on a millennium of Muslim reflections regarding Hindu theology and practice, despite common assumptions that Hindus and Muslims are destined for misunderstanding and conflict. Beginning with al-B?r?n? in the 11th Century, Muslims often commented on the beliefs and practices of the Hindu tradition in relation to their own tradition of Islam. This process continues until today, as Muslims increasingly articulate a scholarly perspective on our planet's religious diversity. Centered in the author's Islamic theological, ethical, and liturgical commitments, this study explores the tradition of Krishna worship traced to the charismatic figure Caitanya who preached in the Bengal Sultanate of the early 16th Century. The book explores possibilities for Muslim interreligious scholarship beyond Judeo-Christian frameworks, as well as the revival of al-B?r?n?'s legacy in the 21st Century. Relevant for scholars in Islamic Studies, Hindu Studies, Interreligious Studies, Comparative Theology, and Decolonial Studies, Hindu Bhakti Through Muslim Eyes forges new ground in Muslim scholarship regarding religious and cultural pluralism. In particular, it offers a model of engagement built on patient learning of a different textual corpus and communal praxis, while still remaining rooted in the Islamic tradition as a distinctive intellectual paradigm.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-Title Page
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgments
• A Note on Sources
• Introduction: Meta-Islam and the Hindu Other
• 1 Vaidhi Bhakti: Serving Kṛṣṇa on Earth
• 2 Rāgānugā Bhakti: Serving Kṛṣṇa in Paradisal Realms
• 3 From Bengal to the World: Caitanya Vaiṣṇavism in History
• 4 Caitanya Vaiṣṇavism and Muslim Studies of the Hindu Tradition
• 5 21st Century Muslims and Human Diversity
• Conclusion : Study for the Sake of Another’s Humanity
• Index