New Horizons of Faith by Dubey, Rajeev;

Short description:

This groundbreaking ethnographic study examines two influential movements—Brahma Kumaris and Ramakrishna Movement —each offering distinct cosmologies and visions of human transformation that attract millions of followers across diverse social backgrounds.

Long description:

In contemporary India, new Hindu religious movements are reshaping spiritual landscapes and challenging traditional boundaries of faith, identity, and social practice. This groundbreaking ethnographic study examines two influential movements—Brahma Kumaris and Ramakrishna Movement —each offering distinct cosmologies and visions of human transformation that attract millions of followers across diverse social backgrounds.

Through rich, comparative analysis, this book explores the socio-cultural forces driving the rise of these movements and their profound impact on devotees' lives. Who joins these communities and why? How do charismatic founding leaders' legacies evolve across generations? The study reveals how new religious identities form through intensive socialisation processes that transform everything from daily routines to fundamental worldviews. Employing phenomenological perspective, the author demonstrates how bodies become sites of cultural inscription and potential social change. They uncover striking differences between the movements regarding food practices, clothing choices, celibacy, and marriage—revealing how religious imagination translates into lived experience. From the Brahma Kumaris' emphasis on spiritual purity and gender equality to the Ramakrishna Movement's synthesis of traditional and modern values, each movement creates distinct pathways to transcendence. The book offers crucial insights into how contemporary Hindu movements navigate modernity while preserving spiritual authenticity, creating new forms of religious belonging that challenge conventional social boundaries.

Essential reading for scholars and students of sociology of religion, cultural studies, religious studies, anthropology, and South Asian studies, this work provides unprecedented understanding of religious innovation in modern India.

'As a purely instrumental notion of 'productivity', 'efficiency' and 'success' fails to appease our psychic agony and existential restlessness, we witness the emergence of new religious movements, and the popularity of a galaxy of 'charismatic' gurus offering us diverse packages of meditation techniques, mindfulness and instant salvation. Under these circumstances, Rajeev Dubey's rigorously researched book- a creative blend of penetrating sociological insights and empirical observations of Brahma Kumaris and Ramakrishna Movement-has acquired special relevance.'

- Avijit Pathak, Professor (Retired), Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

'Rajeev Dubey’s insightful exploration of New Religious Movements’ lesser-known lifestyles offers a comparative view of their formations, imagination, and socialisation. This book thoroughly examines the diverse cosmological views, social realities, and human conditions expressed by two Hindu NRMs: the Brahma Kumaris and the Ramakrishna Movement. It will prove enlightening and indispensable to scholars across disciplines.'

- Biswajit Ghosh, Former Vice-Chancellor, University of Burdwan

'Combining theory with empiricism, the book deftly grapples with a series of binaries: tradition versus modernity, sacred versus profane, sacralisation versus instrumentality, ritualism versus utilitarianism, religion versus new religious movements. One finds an answer to what happens when religion reinvents itself in response to the forces of change. The volume is a rich discourse on Sociology of Religion imbued with rigour, criticality and reflexivity.'

- Bikram Keshari Mishra, Professor & Head, Department of Sociology, Ravenshaw University

Table of Contents:

List of tables. Foreword. Acknowledgements. Glossary 1. Introduction 2. New Hindu Religious Movements: Towards a Conceptual Understanding 3. The Brahma Kumaris: A Socio-historical Analysis 4. The Ramakrishna Movement: A Socio-historical Analysis 5. Social Construction of Charisma: The Case of Brahma Kumaris and Ramakrishna Movement 6. Acquiring Identity and Becoming Members: The Case of Brahma Kumaris and Ramakrishna Movement 7. Embodying Faith through Socialisation: Body, Celibacy and Marriage 8. Conclusion. References. Index