Redemptive Encounters

Three modern Hindu movements form the focus of this study by Lawrence A. Babb. They remain influential in India and in other parts of the world. Babb examines how the Hindu tradition can express shared themes in strikingly different forms. Hinduism is often described as an inclusive cultural order, yet these movements raise doubts about the idea of one unified Hindu belief system, since each offers its own picture of the world and of the human condition.

Rather than simply summarizing the movements, the book asks readers to analyze them closely. It traces the connections among Hinduism's varied doctrines, symbols, attitudes, and principles, and it considers why the tradition attracts followers worldwide and how it shapes political and social life.