The Camphor Flame: Popular Hinduism and Society in India - Revised and Expanded Edition

by C.J. Fuller

Popular Hinduism is shaped, above all, by worship of a multitude of powerful divine beings--a superabundance indicated by the proverbial total of 330 million gods and goddesses. The fluid relationship between these beings and humans is a central theme of this rich and accessible study of popular Hinduism in the context of the society of contemporary India. Lucidly organized and skillfully written, The Camphor Flame brings clarity to an immensely complicated subject. C. J. Fuller combines ethnographic case studies with comparative anthropological analysis and draws on textual and historical scholarship as well. The book's new afterword brings the study up-to-date by examining the relationship between popular Hinduism and contemporary Hindu nationalism.

Genres: Nonfiction, India, Hinduism, Religion, Anthropology

368 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 1992

Reviews

[Vampire Who Baked · Rating 5 out of 5]

very unique book. concerned less with the theology and more with the ethnography of hinduism, which is rare in books of this type. lots of "whoa i didn't think of it that way" moments, especially for people who grew up in hindu households.

(tangentially, "white people writing thoughtful books about india" is fast becoming one of my favourite genres)

[Ellen Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice ethnography of religion as it is practiced mostly in the villages of India. It cleared up some misconceptions that we can get in the west learning about bits and pieces of Hinduism from yoga, theosophy, etc. Some will not like the analytical approach, but I do. For example, he explains the relationship between Vishnu/ Rama/ Krishna and Shiva, the other Great God and discusses the relative importance of the deities in ordinary life. didn't manage to finish it, but I will keep it for a reference.

[Blair Hodges · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very workable overview of a complex subject.

[Ke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like how this book addresses the average Hindu believer.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

A really in-depth look at Hinduism. Too in-depth for me actually. It is really a book for academic use.