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‘‘Students will find Sikhism: An Introduction a clearly organised text, written in an engaging style, and usefully augmented by a substantial bibliography. This excellent illustrated guide to the Sikh tradition offers readers not only key factual material but also Singh’s own insights into gender and her substantial attention to the arts, to colonial encounters and diasporic life stories.’’ - Eleanor Nesbitt, Professor of Religions and Education, University of Warwick and author of Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction "Sikhism: An Introduction paints a vivid portrait of Sikh spirituality, arts, politics, gender and family life. This engaging text takes readers from the origins of Sikhism in Guru Nanak’s life and teachings to contemporary Sikh life in India and the Sikh diaspora.’’ - Robin Rinehart, Professor of Religious Studies and Asian Studies Program Chair, Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania Almost from the moment, some five centuries ago, that their religion was founded in the Punjab by Guru Nanak, Sikhs have enjoyed a distinctive identity. This sense of difference, forged during Sikhism’s fierce struggles with the Mughal Empire, is still symbolised by the ‘Five Ks’ (panj kakar, in Punjabi), those articles of faith to which most Sikhs subscribe: uncut hair bound in a turban; comb; special undergarment; steel bracelet and dagger (or kirpan) – the unique marks of the Sikh community (the word Sikh means ‘disciple’ in Punjabi). Yet for all its ongoing attachment to the religious symbols that have helped set it apart from neighbouring faiths in South Asia, Sikhism amounts to far more than just signs or externals. Now the world’s fifth largest religion, with a significant diaspora, especially in Britain and North America, this remarkable monotheistic tradition commands the allegiance of 25 million people, and is a global phenomenon. In her balanced appraisal, Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh reviews the history, theology and worship of a community poised between reconciling its hereditary creeds and certainties with the fast-paced pressures of modernity. She outlines and explains the core Sikh beliefs, and explores the writings and teachings of the Ten Sikh Gurus in Sikhism’s Holy Scriptures, the Guru Granth Sahib. Further chapters explore Sikh ethics, art and architecture, and matters of gender and the place of women in the tradition. The book attractively combines the warm empathy of a Sikh with the objective insights and acute perspectives of a prominent scholar of religion.
ISBN - 9781848853218
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Pages : 288
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