Primary Hinduism

Description

The Hindu religion is old and yet contemporary,  deep and yet all-expansive. It is vast, diverse and mind-boggling. Nowhere is this difficult-to-understand nature of Hinduism more palpably felt than when dealing with today’s young minds. This book has been specifically designed to address the requirements of teaching Hinduism to young girls and boys in a format that is in line with the guidelines suggested in the new non-statutory framework for religious education. Printed in four colour on high quality art paper.

Publisher : Sri Ramakrishna Math; 116 Pages ; ISBN : 978-8178235219

Reviewed by Andrew Copson of British Humanist Association:

With belief systems so different from the monotheisms and, in the case of Hinduism, with a dazzling internal diversity, knowing how to present a meaningful picture of them can be daunting. In the case of key stages 1 to 3, this can often be compounded by a focus on ceremonies, celebrations and stories which many adherents of these worldviews may find unrepresentative of the nature of their beliefs. This feeling seems to partly motivate ‘Primary Hinduism’, which presents Hinduism from a Hindu perspective with great clarity and range, weaving stories from the Hindu tradition into explanation of the Hindu into its presentation with verve. By presenting Hinduism in a Hindu voice, which also strives to be a comprehensive one, it acts as a good introduction to the basis of Hindu belief, which it builds up with the stories featured to give a greater understanding of how these beliefs guide actions and what they mean to those who hold them. The content is clearly based on approaches which the author and editor have found useful as speakers on Hinduism to schools and gives the text a directness which, together with its authentic voice, is a great strength. This would be particularly useful to schools who cannot find Hindu speakers. The illustrations accompanying the text are colourful and appealing, and the accompanying endnotes which highlight learning objectives as well as suggesting classroom activities will be useful.” Reviewed on hinduacademy.org