TEXAS, USA, November 3, 2016 (press release): Professor Pankaj Jain of the University of North Texas, has issued the following announcement: “We want to invite you to join an exciting project under the leadership of Professor Arvind Sharma, the “Encyclopedia of Indian Religion” (http://www.springer.com/series/15157). For Hinduism section, we are aiming for covering 300 topics overall (750,000 words approximately) of the below, varying lengths from 1,000 to 10,000 words. See https://unt.academia.edu/PankajJain for the list of entries for this project. Since the planned publication date is summer 2018, we are aiming for all submissions to be received by December 2017.” Contact: pankajaindia@gmail.com
From the publisher’s website on the project, “Encyclopedia of Indian Religions,” Series Editor, Prof. Arvind Sharma, McGill University:
“The Encyclopedia of Indian Religions” offers a complete overview of Hinduism and all other religions found in India and the Diaspora, such as Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism and so on. It is strongly characterized by two special features, each pertaining to the fact that Hinduism is closely associated with India but has now become global in its reach. In relation to Hinduism in India, it views Hinduism not in isolation but in dynamic interaction, first with other religions of Indian origin and then with religions which did not originate in India but have been a lasting feature of its religious landscape, namely, Islam and Christianity and, to a lesser extent, Zoroastrianism and Judaism. Secondly, the encyclopedia seriously takes into account the phenomenon of Hinduism in the Diaspora. The Indian Diaspora is now beginning to make its presence felt, both in India and abroad. A strong sense of Hindu identity is emerging among diasporic Hindus. This has lead to an increasing amount of research on Hindu traditions and Indian identity, and the relation of Hinduism with other world religions. The Encyclopedia of Indian Religions will fill the need for information and clarification of modern day Hinduism and Hindu history and traditions to Hindus in the Diaspora. Three main aspects of diasporic Hinduism have been kept in mind while preparing this reference work: firstly the active language of diasporic Hindus is English. Secondly diasporic Hindus need a rational rather than a devotional or traditional exposition of the religion, and thirdly they need information and arguments to address the stereotypes which characterize the presentation of Hinduism in the academia and the media, especially in the West.