Gandhi, conversion, and the equality of religions: more experiments with truth
- Author
- Sarah Claerhout
- Organization
- Abstract
- Even though Gandhi is often cited in the debate on religious conversion in India, his viewpoints have not been systematically analyzed. One reason is that his writings present a confounding blend of concepts derived from different traditions. The article argues that this fact provides a unique entry point into Gandhi’s thought. By looking for systematic patterns in his distortive use of English-language terms and ideas, the background ideas that have structured his reasoning can be traced. The conceptual distortions in Gandhi’s writings are shaped by these ideas, which reflect typical Indian attitudes and modes of thought on the question of religion and conversion. Analyzing his writings in this way not only allows for an explanation of his views on religion and his antagonism to conversion, but also clarifies the widespread unease towards Christian proselytism in contemporary India.
- Keywords
- Comparative science of cultures, Conversion, Gandhi, Comparative study of religion
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Citation
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-4233594
- MLA
- Claerhout, Sarah. “Gandhi, Conversion, and the Equality of Religions: More Experiments with Truth.” NUMEN-INTERNATIONAL REVIEW FOR THE HISTORY OF RELIGIONS, vol. 61, no. 1, 2014, pp. 53–82, doi:10.1163/15685276-12341304.
- APA
- Claerhout, S. (2014). Gandhi, conversion, and the equality of religions: more experiments with truth. NUMEN-INTERNATIONAL REVIEW FOR THE HISTORY OF RELIGIONS, 61(1), 53–82. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685276-12341304
- Chicago author-date
- Claerhout, Sarah. 2014. “Gandhi, Conversion, and the Equality of Religions: More Experiments with Truth.” NUMEN-INTERNATIONAL REVIEW FOR THE HISTORY OF RELIGIONS 61 (1): 53–82. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685276-12341304.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- Claerhout, Sarah. 2014. “Gandhi, Conversion, and the Equality of Religions: More Experiments with Truth.” NUMEN-INTERNATIONAL REVIEW FOR THE HISTORY OF RELIGIONS 61 (1): 53–82. doi:10.1163/15685276-12341304.
- Vancouver
- 1.Claerhout S. Gandhi, conversion, and the equality of religions: more experiments with truth. NUMEN-INTERNATIONAL REVIEW FOR THE HISTORY OF RELIGIONS. 2014;61(1):53–82.
- IEEE
- [1]S. Claerhout, “Gandhi, conversion, and the equality of religions: more experiments with truth,” NUMEN-INTERNATIONAL REVIEW FOR THE HISTORY OF RELIGIONS, vol. 61, no. 1, pp. 53–82, 2014.
@article{4233594,
abstract = {{Even though Gandhi is often cited in the debate on religious conversion in India, his viewpoints have not been systematically analyzed. One reason is that his writings present a confounding blend of concepts derived from different traditions. The article argues that this fact provides a unique entry point into Gandhi’s thought. By looking for systematic patterns in his distortive use of English-language terms and ideas, the background ideas that have structured his reasoning can be traced. The conceptual distortions in Gandhi’s writings are shaped by these ideas, which reflect typical Indian attitudes and modes of thought on the question of religion and conversion. Analyzing his writings in this way not only allows for an explanation of his views on religion and his antagonism to conversion, but also clarifies the widespread unease towards Christian proselytism in contemporary India.}},
author = {{Claerhout, Sarah}},
issn = {{0029-5973}},
journal = {{NUMEN-INTERNATIONAL REVIEW FOR THE HISTORY OF RELIGIONS}},
keywords = {{Comparative science of cultures,Conversion,Gandhi,Comparative study of religion}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
pages = {{53--82}},
title = {{Gandhi, conversion, and the equality of religions: more experiments with truth}},
url = {{http://doi.org/10.1163/15685276-12341304}},
volume = {{61}},
year = {{2014}},
}
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