Insiders and Outsiders

In this essay, I look at the contemporary debate on the study of religion as to where it is in the academy. Second, in relation to that I look at the debates on the study of Hinduism. I then examine the issue of “who speaks for Hinduism” and whether Hinduism is a case of exception in the study of religion. In conclusion I suggest that Hinduism is a case in point in learning about our comparative project in the study of religion. My line of argument in this essay is based on the premise that there are no “insiders” to Hinduism in any absolute sense and every tradition within Hinduism stands outside in some sense to another tradition within that group. So, how we bring these data together is dependent on our scholarly imagination and integrity.