Questioning authority: Constructions and deconstructions of Hinduism
@article{Smith1998QuestioningAC, title={Questioning authority: Constructions and deconstructions of Hinduism}, author={Brian Keith Smith}, journal={International Journal of Hindu Studies}, year={1998}, volume={2}, pages={313-339} }
The title of my essay is taken from a well-known bumper sticker, spotted on vehicles throughout North America. The sentiment expressed is one that I find admirable, although it is practiced by most of us mainly in the breach. As scholars, however, questioning authority is one of the principal features of our professional enterprise; and for those of us who are scholars of religion, it is, in my opinion, the sine qua non of the discipline, t First and foremost, it is necessary for each…
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