Vaisnava Concepts of God

Vaisnava Concepts of God Synopsis

This book explores a number of concepts of God in Vai??avism, which is commonly referred to as one of the great Hindu monotheistic traditions. By addressing the question of what attributes God possesses according to particular Vai??ava textual sources and traditions, the book locates these concepts within a global philosophical framework.

The book is divided into two parts. The first part, God in Vai??ava Texts, deals with concepts of God found in some of the more prominent canonical Vai??ava texts: the Bhagavad-Gita, the Bhagavata-Pura?a, the Jayakhya-Sa?hita as representative of the Pañcaratras, and the Mahabharata. The second part, God in Vai??ava Traditions, addresses concepts of God found in several Vai??ava traditions and their respective key theologians. In addition to the A?vars, the five traditional Vai??ava schools-the Sri Vai??ava tradition, the Madhva tradition, the Nimbarka tradition, the Pu??imarga tradition, and the Caitanya Vai??ava tradition-and two contemporary ones-those of Ramakrishna (who has Vai??ava leanings) and Swami Bhaktivedanta-are considered.

The book combines normative, critical, and descriptive elements. Some chapters are philosophical in nature, and others are more descriptive. Each unpacks a specific Vai??ava concept of God for future philosophical analysis and critique. Written by experts who break new ground in this presentation and representation of the diversity of Vai??ava texts and traditions, the book provides approaches that reflect the amount of philosophical and historical deliberation on the specific issues and divine attributes so far considered in the field of Hindu Studies. This book will be of interest to researchers in disciplines including philosophy of religion and Indian philosophy, cross-cultural and comparative philosophy, analytic philosophy of religion, Hindu Studies, theology, and religious studies.