The Heathen in His Blindness: Asia, the West and the Dynamic of Religion

by S.N. Balagangadhara

This trenchant critique of Western scholarship on Eastern religions holds that religion is important to the West because the constitution and the identity of Western culture are tied to the dynamic of Christianity as a religion. Through discussions of Hinduism, this volume shows how non-Western cultures and religions differ from descriptions prevalent in the West. The author proposes novel analyses of religion, the Roman religio, the construction of religions in India, and the nature of cultural differences. Today, most intellectuals agree that Christianity has profoundly influenced Western culture; that members from different cultures experience many aspects of the world differently; and that the empirical and theoretical study of both culture and religion emerged within the West. These truisms have implications for the world-wide conceptualization of religion and culture and this book explains the reasons why.

Genres: Religion, Philosophy, Nonfiction, History, India, Politics

514 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1993

About the author

S.N. Balagangadhara (aka Balu) (ಎಸ್. ಏನ್. ಬಾಲಗಂಗಾಧರ in Kannada) is a professor at the Ghent University in Belgium, and director of the India Platform and the Research Centre Vergelijkende Cutuurwetenschap (Comparative Science of Cultures). He was a student of National College, Bangalore[1] and moved to Belgium in 1977 to study philosophy at Ghent University, where he obtained his doctorate under the supervision of Prof.[2] Etienne Vermeersch. His doctoral thesis (1991) was entitled Comparative Science of Cultures and the Universality of Religion: An Essay on Worlds without Views and Views without the World. Prof. Balu has been researching the nature of religion. His central area of inquiry has been the study of Western culture against the background of Indian culture.[1] His research programme is called in Dutch "Vergelijkende Cultuurwetenschap," which translates into "Comparative Science of Cultures." Prof. Balagangadhara has held the co-chair of the Hinduism Unit at the American Academy of Religion (AAR). He also gives lectures to the general public in Europe and India on issues such as the current (mis)understanding of Indian culture and the search for happiness

Reviews

[RK Kuppala · Rating 5 out of 5]

This work is most misunderstood by those who approvingly cite this, and by those who criticize this work. This misunderstanding has nothing to do with the structure of the book, but everything to do with the nature of any scientific hypothesis. The author has *not* criticized the concept 'religion' because the latter is western: do we think the concept of positron is western? And this book is not a critique of essentialism: entire natural sciences are `essentialistic.' `culture' is not monolithic; of course, species is not monolithic either, yet is amenable to study. What properties of Christianity are ones by virtue of which Christianity is a religion? Here Sweet Willman, in his criticism of the book, presumed that the properties of Christianity = the properties of religion. There are others who criticize it because it conflicts with their intuition. Of course, the author explained the necessity of experiencing religion in India.

Coming back to what the book does: the author identified a set of problems through historical research. Any theory of religion has to solve these problems. The author proposed a hypothesis of religion that solves these problems, and further explains the experience of believers; that shows why one can't study, say, Christianity as religion without being a believer. Then it is showed, one is compelled to do theology in order to study Christianity as a world view. Given this, the author shifted the study to a different level of abstraction: religion as that which generates a configuration of learning. This hypothesis sheds light on various issues: skepticism of Antiquity; origin of natural sciences in the West; vacuous debates of all sorts of relativism; cultural differences; theories of actions; etc. In other words, this theory does generate more problems, and can solve the same problems-in the long run.

The author nowhere did mention that `Hinduism', `Buddhism' etc. are `something' else but not religions; whatever the conceptual gestalts these entities `Hinduism' etc. refer to are non-existent in the way unicorn is.

[josh91 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read and take on comparative study on religions. A must read...

Balagangadhara discusses the twin dynamic of Christianity of proselytization and secularization; how the West remains a religious culture; how the secular state may provoke religious conflict in a predominantly pagan milieu like India; how Indians lack normative thinking; and how the criterion of reasonableness in normative political theory is only accessible to those who share a common Western history.

The Heathen told us how a comparative science of cultures would look like by plotting the differences between the Western and an Asian culture, the Indian. Reconceptualizing takes that agenda further through a number of contemporary problems on which further light is shed when they are recast as part of a larger comparative science of cultures. The promise of the first is partly fulfilled in the second, but much more clearly remains to be done. The books under review should constitute a serious challenge, but they are also an inspiration.

[Ajay Thakur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heathen in his Blindness - by SN Balagangadhara explains What is Religion - Why Indian Culture is different from the European Religion. How the Europeans saw India through their Religious Culture and Colonial Consciousness: How is distorting our access to our experiences.

This book is also available in Kannada. It goes by the name of Smruti-Vismruti:Bhaaratheeya Samskruti.

[Surabhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Heathen in His Blindness by S.N. Balagangadhara is a complex exploration of the concept of religion, particularly in the context of Western and Eastern traditions. I would not say the author rejects the notion of religion itself, but rather challenges the assumption that it can be studied effectively through Western frameworks. Balagangadhara emphasizes the need to understand religions not just as external systems, but as lived experiences from the perspective of the believer/ practitioner. This approach moves beyond simple cultural relativism and advocates for a more rigorous investigation into how religions generate knowledge, and influence societies.

While the book might appear to blur the lines between cultural analysis and theology, its true contribution lies in offering a more comprehensive theory of religion. Balagangadhara’s hypothesis encourages readers to rethink their assumptions about religion, pushing for a deeper understanding of skepticism, science, and cultural differences. The work provides a nuanced and insightful examination of the historical and cultural dynamics that shape religious understanding, making it an invaluable resource for those interested in the intersection of culture, religion, and philosophy.

In conclusion, The Heathen in His Blindness is a challenging yet rewarding read that invites us to reconsider how we approach the study of religions. Rather than dismissing religions like Hinduism or Buddhism, it encourages a fresh perspective on how these traditions should be studied and understood. Balagangadhara’s hypothesis is a valuable contribution to academic discourse, offering a thoughtful and critical framework for understanding religion and culture.

[fre · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm ok with the idea that people in the West painstakingly try to seek parallels between Christianity and Eastern worldviews/philosophy that simply do not exist. I'm ok with the idea that maybe religion is not a universal phenomenon; that some cultures are/were simply not religious at all.
But man... this was a tedious read. I admit I skipped a whole lot. This book is in need of some serious editing.

[Neel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a tough read. It is written with a scholarly tone, with reference, formal language and almost reads like a PhD thesis. It takes time to read and savour. But once you get through all of that, what the book offers is - it opens to our eyes to the colonial lens or the colonial matrix through which we have viewed our civilization. This book is an absolute must in your collection of Indic books.