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Book Reviews 7 began wrestling with “Hindu” Ward had really described Bengali realities, a consensus of opinion had realities, and even then was very selec- Book developed. Oddie summarizes that tive in the midst of massive diversity. “the Orientalists thought of Hinduism (Most striking is Oddie’s clear evi- Reviews as an all-India unified phenomenon, dence presented from Ward’s journal based on Sanskrit and still controlled, that he understood the Khartabhaja Imagined Hinduism: British policed and enforced by brahmans” anti-brahman, anti-idolatry, theistic Protestant Missionary (pg. 100). True religion was found in bhakti (devotional) movement; “as Constructions of Hinduism, 1793– texts (Sanskrit), and “pantheism” was he was so intent on demonizing ‘the the basic philosophy of this imagined other,’ he could hardly afford to dwell 1900, by Geoffrey A. Oddie (New textual Hindu religion. for too long on Kartabhaja virtues, on Delhi/London: SAGE Publications, their monotheism, rejection of caste 2006, pp. 375) Oddie seeks information on the train- ing in Britain of 19th century mis- and love of one another!”) So a bias towards the dominant paradigm long —reviewed by H. L. Richard sionaries; most noteworthy is a focus on language, which led to dependence triumphed over empirical evidences here is after arrival in India on (usually) against this unified Brahmanical T no end in Brahman informants (language teach- system. (Ironically, one of the chief sight to aca- ers), who encouraged the self-aggran- complaints against “Hinduism” was its demic discus- dizing view of Brahmanical influence internal contradictions; but there was sions of the on “Hinduism.” never a unified system within which validity and contradictions could exist.) (if valid at all) One of Oddie’s central insights is how missionary students of Hinduism were Reality finally impinged on this meaning of imagined Hinduism of the early 19th “Hinduism.” in a unique position, forerunners of later anthropologists, as many of them faced, century. Despite the longevity of the Christian dominant paradigm (particularly in academics confused by the seem- described and analyzed the practical religion of the people of India. But the popular motivational missionary lit- ing cacophony emanating from erature, which is also analyzed), many Indological studies now have at textual orientation of scholars impacted them as well, and Oddie sees Carey as missionaries moved away from the idea hand a brilliant introduction to the of a monolithic brahman-dominated debate based on the history of British one who moved away from the “experi- ential” to the “textual” approach, clearly “Hinduism.” Oddie gives a lengthy Protestant missionary discussions explanation for why the “pantheistic” of “Hinduism.” a move in the wrong direction. William Ward’s massive and influential volumes view of Hinduism held on so long Geoffrey Oddie (Honorary were even worse: when so much evidence was against it; Research Associate, Department but that this view still has proponents Ward picked up and promoted the of History, University of Sydney, in some circles today is quite astonish- idea of Hinduism. Indian “pagan- ing. One of the reasons Australia) does not propose a solu- ism,” “the Hindu religion” or “Hindu tion for this conundrum; rather he superstition” was now, quite simply, is that missionaries may have placed analyzes one particular aspect of “Hindooism.” Furthermore, for Ward undue emphasis on pantheism the root of the problem. Precursors especially, “Hindooism” was a word for partly because of their ignorance to the British Protestant mission- “the Hindu other,” for everything that of bhakti (loving devotion to a per- ary analysts of “Hinduism” are was evil and different from Christianity. sonal god) or failure to see it as a introduced and discussed at some Indeed, in helping to popularize the distinctive tradition. There was, in- depth; these are European travelers, term he helped develop a very valuable deed, comparatively little discussion Roman Catholic missionaries (de and effective weapon in the arsenal of of bhakti among European scholars Nobili, Dubois, etc.), south Indian Christian propaganda. As a result of its for the greater part of the nine- teenth century and it was only in the Protestant missionaries (Ziegenbalg increasing usage, English-speaking com- mentators were tempted more strongly 1880s and 1890s that Ramanuja’a in particular), British Protestant into stereotyping, oversimplification philosophy, “dualism,” and the ideas friends of missions (Charles Grant, and misunderstanding (pg. 179). implicit in bhakti movements appear Claudius Buchanan and Bishop to have received more systematic Heber) and the Orientalists. This “dominant paradigm” of Hinduism, attention (pg. 270). developed by the Serampore Trio, was By the time William Carey and guarded by Alexander Duff and many As the idea of Hinduism as panthe- William Ward in Serampore others. Evidences were at hand that ism came under attack, so did the International Journal of Frontier Missiology 24:4 Winter 2007 Book Reviews concept that it was a monolithic out that before academics in Britain and British support for modernist religion. Regional variations were began to talk of fulfillment it had been reforms ignited a sense of concern increasingly noted, as were differ- suggested and applied to various degrees that was easily communicated as ences between the faith and practices on Indian mission fields, again most the Christian system against the of the high and low castes. Robert notably by Robert Caldwell. Hindu system. Ironically, the sense Caldwell in the Tamil country was William Miller of Madras Christian of a unified Hinduism took root one who saw clearly and trusted College went a step further and pro- among Indians in just the same late what he saw. He is noteworthy for pounded the viewpoint that though nineteenth century decades when destroying the idea that Sanskrit Christ is one it is not necessary to think missionaries were realizing they had lay behind all Indian languages (in that the Christian religion is the only it all wrong, there really was no such his Comparative Grammar in 1856, true representation of his life and work unified Hinduism. although the truth of a Dravidian and way. The separation of Christ and Missionary thought about Hinduism language family did not originate Christianity was axiomatic even in had a lasting impact in Britain as with him (see pg. 99)); already in that time, with many recognizing the well, where popularist propaganda for 1840 he noted that need to preach Christ and not Western missions carried on the old paradigm It does not throw much light upon the Christianity or denominationalism. long after thinking missionaries Shanar [Nadar] religion to describe it But Miller went well beyond this, as had abandoned it. Oddie concludes as a form of Hinduism. It is no doubt Oddie summarizes: that this is Orientalism at its worst, equally deserving of the name with If individuals felt they should be bap- “Western misunderstanding and mis- most of the religions of India; but tized into the Christian church then treatment of the East” (David Smith’s as those religions are not only multi- baptism should occur, but, generally form, but mutually opposed, the use phrase, pg. 348). But missionaries speaking, there was no need for bap- of the common term “Hinduism” is had generally moved beyond this and tism as people drawn from all nations liable to mislead (pg. 285). are best understood as closer to what and communities could continue to de- today are described as anthropologists Yet, as Oddie shows, by 1874 Caldwell velop Christian ideas and ideals while rather than being textual scholars like was speaking on “The Relation of continuing to operate within their the classical Orientalists. Christianity to Hinduism;” the domi- existing communities, and without nant paradigm was too strong, and a a “shifting of camps.” It was, there- Oddie’s survey and analysis of new term had taken root. fore, the task of the church and of the the significant shift in nineteenth Christian colleges to diffuse Christ’s century missionary thought is full Underlying perspectives on teachings and ideals throughout the of insight, and his conclusions need “Hinduism” was a basic attitude, country so as to enable Hindus to fol- still to impact missionary thinking and whether one was sympathetic low Christ within their own particular about “Hinduism” today. This is or hostile played a large role in one’s tradition. It was this last point that an essential book for every serious view of “Hinduism.” As knowledge of was especially challenging for most student of the Hindu-Christian missionaries (pg. 315). Hinduism increased and the problems encounter and for every library of of maintaining a hostile perspective Oddie has a closing chapter addressing mission studies. became apparent, sympathetic views gender issues in missionary perspec- of Hinduism came to prominence in tives and practices, commending the The Oxford India Reader, Ed. the missionary community. careful work of missionary women Vasudha Dalmima and Heinrich Oddie summarizes three types of among Hindu women, and lamenting von Stietencron (New Delhi: Oxford approach to Hinduism. The first, that this was largely ignored by the University Press, 2007, pp. 397 + vi) dominant through the first half of leaders of missionary thought. —reviewed by H. L. Richard the nineteenth century, was “radical In his conclusion Oddie notes two displacement” (Kenneth Cracknell’s areas where the missionary perspec- cholarly wrestling with the term), “the belief that the purpose of tive on Hinduism had a great impact. S concepts of “Hindu” and mission was to wage war and de- Ironically, the first was on Hindu “Hinduism” continues, and this stroy Hinduism (the citadel of Satan) self-perspectives; the ideal of a unified collection of papers from symposia replacing it with what amounted to a national religion had an appeal to edu- of the Department of Indology and European version of Christianity” (pg.