TheŚrāddha

The Development of Ancestor Worship in Classical Hinduism

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4869952
AutoresMatthew R Sayers (Lebanon Valley College, autor de correspondencia)
Año2015
Volumen9
Número6
Páginas182-197
Fecha de publicación2015-06-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaReligion Compass (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1749-8171 • E-ISSN: 1749-8171
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/rec3.12155
OpenAlexW1944828264
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas21

The association of Hinduism with reincarnation is well-known, but this connection obscures a long tradition of ancestor worship. The ritual texts of the Vedic and later Hindu traditions describe in detail the procedure for several forms of ancestral rite. This paper outlines the development of the theological discourse on ancestor worship from its earliest expression to the formation of Classical Hinduism early in the Common Era and highlights the underlying theological, social, and practical concerns that shaped that discourse. The development that culminated in the theological construction of an enduring model of ancestor veneration, theśrāddha, revolves around two central tensions, between the solemn and domestic ritual traditions and between the ritual and renunciation traditions. The resolution of the first tension produces theśrāddha. The reactions to the second tension in the ritual literature shape theśrāddha, bringing it to its classical form, and generate the complex soteriology of later Hinduism

Ancestor · Archaeology · Buddhism · Epistemology · Hinduism · Reincarnation · Renunciation · Theology · Veneration · Worship · History · Indian and Buddhist Studies · Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs · Philosophy · Religious studies · Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices