Logic in a Popular Form Essays on Popular Religion in Bengal - Hardcover

Banerjee, Sumanta

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 8170461626 ISBN 13: 9788170461623

Publisher: Seagull Books Pvt.Ltd, 2002

Synopsis

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About this title

Synopsis

Taking its title from Karl Marx's description of religion as 'the general theory of this world...[and] its logic in a popular form', this volume of essays explores the hidden logic behind the popular construction of certain myths, beliefs about godlings and spirits, and cross-religious cults, viewing them as popular inventions attempting to make sense of human existence in the face of an overwhelming and often hostile environment. These religious manifestations of popular logic are fluid, ever-changing, and always innovative. They represent an alternative stream running parallel to, and often challenging, the more strictly structured beliefs and practices of the Indian religious establishments, whether Hindu, Islamic or Christian. The essays in this book are an attempt to rediscover some of the important aspects of this multi-faceted phenomenon of popular religion in the context of nineteenth-century Bengal, including tracing the impact of urbanisation, colonialism, and nationalism.

About the Author

Sumanta Banerjee is a cultural historian who specializes in research into popular culture, particularly of the colonial period. He is the author of many books, including The Parlour and the Streets Elite and Popular Culture in Nineteenth Century Calcutta and Dangerous Outcast The Prostitute in Nineteenth Century Bengal, both published by Seagull Books.

Edition details

• Publisher: Seagull Books Pvt.Ltd
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 8170461626
• ISBN 13: 9788170461623
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 233