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

Author: Sumanta BanerjeePublisher: Seagull BooksYear: 2002Language: EnglishPages: 233ISBN/UPC (if available): 8170461626 DescriptionTaking 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 - ranging from Kali to Radha-Krishan to Satyapir to Tantrik practice - 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 establishment, whether Hindu, Islamic or Christian. The essays in the present collection are an attempt to redi