Foreword Gavin Flood; 1. Prolegomenon; Part I. Sources and Tools of Swaminarayan Hindu Theology: 2. Introduction: the imperceptibility and ineffability of God; 3. Revelation: the exclusive source of Swaminarayan Hindu theology; 4. Reason, praxis and tradition: the tools of Swaminarayan Hindu theology; Part II. Themes of Swaminarayan Hindu Theology: 5. Introduction: the five eternal entities of Swaminarayan Hinduism; 6. Parabrahman; 7. Akṣarabrahman; 8. Jīva; 9. Īśvara; 10. Māyā; 11. Mukti; 12. Afterword: the way forward; Appendix: theological principles of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha: creedal statement by Pramukh Swami Maharaj; Glossary.
An Introduction to Swaminarayan Hindu Theology provides a comprehensive doctrinal account of the Swaminarayan tradition's belief system.
Swami Paramtattvadas was ordained as a Hindu monk in 1992 by His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj. After studying in India for fourteen years, including for a Master's in Sanskrit, Paramtattvadas returned to England in 2006 to read for a Master's in Religion at the University of Oxford. After a further year of pre-doctoral studies focussing on Christianity, he completed his Ph.D. in Hindu theology under Gavin Flood at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India. Swami Paramtattvadas has written and spoken extensively on Swaminarayan history, doctrine and teachings around the world, and is currently a scholar at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies.
'[This] is a ground-breaking book that will be widely appreciated
by scholars and believers in India and the West. It is a welcome
addition to the growing field of Swaminarayan studies,
distinguished by its clear focus on the teachings of the tradition,
with close attention to philosophical and theological foundations.
Written by an erudite insider and practitioner, it is an excellent
example of Hindu theology, as Swami Paramtattvadas speaks with the
authority of his experience, practice, and with the benefit of many
years of traditional learning. The book exemplifies constructive
religious thinking, as he points to areas where new thinking is
required, to understand ever more deeply the mysteries of God and
scripture, the human and the world, as the tradition grows
globally. This work will be prized by members of the Swaminarayan
community, by scholars interested in contemporary Hinduism and in
the self-representation of faith traditions with an increasing
global presence, and by theologians of all faiths committed to the
global interreligious conversation.' Francis X. Clooney, Director,
Center for the Study of World Religions, Harvard University,
Massachusetts
'Swaminarayan Hinduism is rapidly becoming the most prominent form
of Hinduism in many countries. This constructive presentation of
Swaminarayan theology is an essential text for Swaminarayan and
Hindu studies and a valuable resource for comparative theology and
interreligious dialogue. Swaminarayan developed a theology, an
ethical discipline and a reform movement in a time of rapid social
and political change in the early nineteenth century that continues
to inspire and guide Hindu followers in the twenty-first century.
Contemporary migration movements expand his influence across strong
transnational networks and through social media in cyberspace,
making this book even more relevant in helping us understand what
this dynamic global community believes. Swami Paramtattvadas'
Western education at Oxford and classical Hindu studies in India
enable him to present this important Hindu theology with academic
rigor, depth and clarity. His introduction is an accessible and
major contribution to the study of modern Hinduism.' Raymond Brady
Williams, Wabash College, Indiana, author of An Introduction to
Swaminarayan Hinduism
'In this welcome introduction to Swaminarayan Hindu theology, Swami
Paramtattvadas has succeeded in presenting the fundamental beliefs
of his tradition in a lucid, meticulous and methodical exposition.
This book, while standing within Swaminarayan Hinduism, seeks to
engage with a broader, rational discourse and to stimulate
discussion beyond the bounds of Hindu communities. The writing of
this book has been a large scholarly task, aiming to systematise
key themes from an extensive network of the tradition's
authoritative texts in Gujarati and Sanskrit. As such it is an
important contribution to theology and religion and, to my
knowledge, is the first Hindu systematic theology written in
English. It is also a welcome contribution to Hindu theology and to
the emerging discussion of comparative theology. I am sure it will
find a wide readership among both the academic and Hindu
communities.' Gavin Flood, Senior Research Fellow, Campion Hall,
University of Oxford and Visiting Yap Kim Hao Professor of
Comparative Religious Studies, Yale-NUS, Singapore
'This book provides a brilliant introduction to the theology of the
Swaminarayan tradition, one of the most dynamic and visible forms
of Hinduism in India and abroad. It comprehensively narrates the
key doctrines and beliefs of the tradition drawing on canonical
Hindu texts, original teachings of the tradition's founder, and
exegetical works of other teachers of the tradition. After
delineating the sources for his research, the author intelligibly
expounds upon the five central entities of the tradition. It also
opens vistas of mutual understanding and comparative studies with
other religious traditions. The book stands as an essential tool
for understanding the belief system of this vibrant Hindu
tradition.' Diwakar Acharya, Spalding Professor of Eastern
Religions and Ethics, University of Oxford
'In this engagingly written book, Swami Paramtattvadas looks at the
complex ways in which the Swaminarayan tradition interpreted the
critical and hallowed terminology of Vedānta, thereby developing
its own unique system from the early modern period onwards. At the
same time, by approaching the thought of the tradition from within,
he also raises interesting questions about the relationship between
the categories of theology, metaphysics, the philosophy of
religion, and the practices of Hindu devotion. This book does an
excellent job of bringing the Swaminarayan tradition into
conversation not only with English-language studies of modern
Vedānta, but with comparative theology more generally.'
Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad FBA, Lancaster University
'This monograph by Swami Paramtattvadas fills a longstanding need
for a detailed and systematic exposition of the theology of the
Swaminarayan tradition. It makes accessible the fundamental
theological assumptions and claims of the tradition, while
contextualizing and discussing these within the rich diversity of
Hindu intellectual thought. The author brings to his exposition
both the depth of traditional learning and practice as well as the
tools of contemporary Western scholarship. This is an excellent
contribution to the field of Hindu theology exemplifying the
creativity of commitment and critical inquiry. It is a valuable
resource for understanding and engaging with one of India's most
visible and rapidly growing global religious traditions.'
Anantanand Rambachan, Saint Olaf College, Minnesota
'An Introduction to Swaminarayan Hindu Theology is a
ground-breaking work which provides a comprehensive theological
overview of the belief system of the Swaminarayan tradition, one of
the fastest growing and most visible Hindu groups in India and in
the West. The book indicates the author's deep immersion in
traditional Hindu styles of theological reasoning and also his
ability to situate the themes of God, humanity and the world within
the wider frames of 'Hindu theology' and 'comparative theology'.'
Ankur Barua, University of Cambridge
'A key marker of a religious tradition's health is its ability to
articulate, renew and reapply its doctrines and scriptures for each
succeeding generation. This is the work of theology. There is still
a great dearth of Hindu theological writing in English that takes
into account our global, interreligious context. Not only does this
book offer a superb example of such writing within the Swaminarayan
tradition, it also issues a call for others to join the
conversation and grow the field of Hindu theology. An Introduction
to Swaminarayan Hindu Theology provides a thorough, balanced and
incisive analysis of the tradition's key sources, doctrines and
practices, written in a clear and accessible style. I commend Swami
Paramtattvadas on this signature achievement.' Ravi Gupta, Charles
Redd Chair of Religious Studies, Utah State University
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