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COURSE INTRODUCTION
Reason and faith if done in isolation turned out to be at loggerheads always in the history of
human thinking and existence. Philosophy without practice is mere intellectual enterprise and
dry speculation. Ideologies coupled with critical thinking, if pursued without heart and devotion
tend to become abstract, rigid and arrogant. On the other hand, religion without philosophy is
blind. Mere beliefs in certain entities without much rational enquiry would end up only in
promoting superstitious practices and thinking. Many thinkers tried to make bridges between
these two, making religion as reasonable faith and philosophy to be considerably believable and
trustworthy. Quest for reality - be it absolute, truth, God, supreme, divine – is at the heart of both
religion and philosophy. Each religious tradition tries to justify its faith claims to be true by its
own system of philosophical thinking. Sometimes, mere philosophical traditions, take for
instance, Buddhism, are also made into religious tradition in course of time. Religion and
philosophy are mutually supportive and dependent. The present course on world religions aims at
presenting religious beliefs, customs and rituals together with the metaphysical, epistemological
and ethical precepts and concepts of each of the major religious traditions in the world. We do
not intend to enter into various philosophical issues of religion here as they would be the
concerns of the course on Philosophy of Religion which the students would have an opportunity
to learn in the second year.
Block 1 elaborates on the Jaina and Buddhist religious and philosophical traditions. Both of them
together with Carvaka tradition are grouped as heterodox system, anti-vedic, by Hindu orthodoxy
and such notion has come to be imbibed into the writing of Indian philosophical and religious
writings in the modern and contemporary world. Truly these two traditions are alternatives to the
then existing Vedic Brahmanism and they taught that the Vedas and Upanishads, and hence the
Brahman caste, had no authority. No wonder they received such a treatment of being termed as
‘anti,’ ‘nastika.’ ‘unorthodoxy,’ ‘atheistic,’ etc. Objectively Buddhism, Jainism belongs to the
sramanic tradition, giving much importance to ethics and everyday life of people.
Block 2 on Hinduism and Sikhism gives both the religious and philosophical tenets of these two
religions of India. Hinduism forms India’s religious and cultural system, encompassing a broad
spectrum of philosophies ranging from pluralistic theism to absolute monism. It would be
scholarly to call Hinduism as ‘plural religions of various traditions’, a ‘religion of religions.’
Pluralism is the vein of Hindu tradition. ‘Ekam sat viprah bahuda vadanti’ – ‘Truth is one;
people call it by many names’ (Rig Veda I, 164.46), explains it all. Sikhism as a very young
religion of India has a rare blend of Hinduism and Islam, spiritual and material, brotherhood and
egalitarianism.
Block 3 speak on Judaism and Christianity. Judaism is a religion which believes that God is one,
unique, and concerned for us and our actions. Judaism traces its origin to the people of ancient
Israel and Judah, and their relationship with God, who is identified throughout Jewish tradition
by ineffable name YHWH (Yahweh). Judaism considers God as the supreme reality that
transcends everything. Christianity as a religion and philosophical faith has a strong root in
Judaism. The medieval western thinkers have given a distinctive interpretation and feature to
Christianity. Block 4 gives a details of Islamic religion and its philosophy. It also sufficiently
deals with all other world religions like Zorastrianism, Taoism, Confucianism and Shintoism.