An Introduction to Swaminarayan Hinduism.

Cambridge.: Cambridge University Press.. 2001.. Map, black and white photographic illustrations, xi + 253pp, glossary, references, index, prior owner's name front free endpaper, price sticker outline upper cover, paperback. "An Introduction to Swaminarayan Hinduism is a comprehensive study of a modern form of Hinduism that is growing in the place of its birth in the Indian state of Gujarat and among Indian immigrants in east Africa, Great Britain, and the United States. It is the most prominent form of transnational Hinduism because it creates networks that define and preserve ethnic and religious identity in the modern context of rapid mobility and communication. Founded by Sahajanand Swami or Swaminarayan (1781–1830), a religious reformer in a time of great social and political change in Gujarat, Swaminarayan Hinduism expounds a path of devotion to Swaminarayan as the final, perfect manifestation of God. Raymond Brady Williams provides a detailed introduction to the history, theology, discipline, and ritual of this important form of Hinduism." Publisher's description. .