Great World Religions: Hinduism

By: Mark W. Muesse, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Mark W. Muesse

In this 12-lecture series, you'll encounter a religion that is perhaps the most diverse of all; one that worships more gods and goddesses than any other, and one that rejects the notion that there is only one path to the divine. These lectures provide a window into the roots of, perhaps, all religions. You'll explore over the course of Hinduism's 5,000-year journey: the Indus Valley civilization; the sizable variety of Hindu gods and goddess; the sacred writings in the Vedas, Bhagavad Gita, and Upanishads; Hindu ritual purity rites; the Aryan language of Sanskrit, whose roots can be seen in English words such as "divine," "video," and "ignite"; and much more.

The story of Hinduism, you'll come to see, is the story of very non-Western traditions (such as arranged marriages and the caste system) that have survived and thrived for thousands of years. It's also home to a wealth of gods, terms, and practices (such as karma, Krishna, yoga, and guru) that have found a home in Western lives and language. Along the way, Dr. Muesse discusses salient aspects of Hindu life and places them in historical and theological context. He also explains that Hinduism honors all seekers of truth, that it contains multiple paths to divine reality (the way of action, the way of wisdom, and the way of devotion), and that it can be both a monotheistic and a polytheistic faith.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2003 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2003 The Great Courses

So Amazing!

Any additional comments?

I greatly enjoyed listening to Professor Muesse's lectures on Hinduism. I learned an amazing amount from these lectures! I plan on getting the other Great Courses lectures on Great World Religions!

I still don't get Hinduism

I came into this not knowing much about Hinduism and not really understanding the religion at all. This course defines what Hinduism and then went over history and various periods of Hinduism. It also goes into the religious ideas of Hinduism and what Hinduism is today. My western, Christian mind still doesn't "get" Hinduism but that's ok, I grasp it a lot better now.

Favorite teacher

Prof. Muesse's classes are always the best! I have learned a lot from this man. I would take any class he offers, regardless of whether or not I'm interested in the subject matter...he's that good!

Very good but I want more.

While I really enjoyed this, it mostly made me want to learn more, though I'm not sure where to find it. I'd love to learn more of the stories and about the individual gods and their worshippers, etc.

Excellent course. I greatly recommend it

Excellent course. I greatly recommend it. Great material and the professor does a great job.