Arvind Sharma 
One Religion Too Many 
The Religiously Comparative Reflections of a Comparatively Religious Hindu

One Religion Too Many is a Hindu pilgrim’s progress through the world’s religious traditions. An eminent scholar of comparative religion, Arvind Sharma provides a first-hand account of how he came to be a party to the dialogue of religions—first with his own religion, then with the comparative study of religion, and finally with the religious universalism he has come to espouse because of this heritage. Starting with an account of the Hinduism of his family in Varanasi, India, Sharma then heads west, finding himself dumbfounded by the Christian Eucharist, wondering if there is a ‘Hinjew Connection, ‘ grappling with Zen in Massachusetts, and pressed into service to teach about Islam. Sharma writes with a light touch, but even when his encounters and perceptions are amusing, they are always insightful and thought-provoking. Western readers, in particular, will enjoy seeing their own traditions through the eyes of an Easterner who has come to know them well. Sharma’s ultimate perspective on religious universalism is a welcoming vision for the globalizing world of the twenty-first century.

Table of Content

Preface

Acknowledgment

Introduction




PART I



1. Banaras



2. Nainital



3. Fatehpur



4. Delhi



5. The Hindu World




PART II



6. The Hinjew Connection



7. Experiencing Christianity



8. Teaching Islam



9. Discovering Zen



10. Religions of India and China: Caught in the Middle



11. Rediscovering Mahatma Gandhi




PART III



12. Montreal and After



13. World’s Religions After September 11



Conclusion

Notes

About the author

Arvind Sharma is Birks Professor of Comparative Religion at Mc Gill University. His many books include
Hinduism as a Missionary Religion;
Religious Studies and Comparative Methodology: The Case for Reciprocal Illumination; and
Sleep as a State of Consciousness in Advaita Vedānta, all published by SUNY Press.