Summary
The Hindu faith is complex and compelling, and it is determined to find a home in America far from the land of its birth: India. The first American Hindus were pathfinders, nurturing Hindu philosophy until it gained acceptance in society. Today, Hindu temples dot the American landscape and unite Hindu peoples eager to have their ancient religious principles coexist in a modern, technological country.
Hindu, Jain, and Sikh Faiths in America, Second Edition also addresses the historical, ethical, and moral issues of the Sikh religion and its noteworthy entrance into traditions in America. From humble immigrants laboring in the timber trades in 1910, the Sikh tradition has flourished here in America as followers developed businesses, restaurants, and farms. Though largely confined to India in the past, Jainism, with its close roots to Buddhism, is gaining a foothold in the United States as well. This title explores the history of Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism in America and looks at the valuable contributions Sikhs, Jains, and Hindus have made to the quality of life in the United States.
New and updated coverage includes:
- The Asian Exclusion Act of 1917
- Discrimination, particularly in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks
- Popularity of Hindu-inspired yoga
- Hindus in American medicine
- Jiddu Krishnamurti
- Kal Penn
- Deepak Chopra.
About the Author(s)
The late Dr. Gail Harley, professor of religious studies at the University of South Florida and editor of the Encyclopedia of Women in American Religious Life, wrote the original work.
The revision was completed by Dr. Constance A. Jones, a professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies and a member of the board of the Institute for the Study of American Religion. Dr. Jones is a sociologist of religion who does research into Eastern and Western intellectual history, particularly Hindu beliefs and practices in the United States. She has received academic awards from the Ford Foundation and the National Institutes of Health and was a Fulbright scholar in India. She and Dr. Melton completed a major national study of Hindu, Sikh, and Jain groups and organizations in the United States. Dr. Jones is also the coauthor of Encyclopedia of Hinduism for Facts on File.