TheŚrāddha

The Development of Ancestor Worship in Classical Hinduism

Dados Bibliográficos

ID4869952
AutoresMatthew R Sayers (Lebanon Valley College, autor correspondente)
Ano2015
Volume9
Fascículo6
Páginas182-197
Data de publicação2015-06-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoReligion Compass (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1749-8171 • E-ISSN: 1749-8171
EditoraWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/rec3.12155
OpenAlexW1944828264
IdiomaEN
Referências 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