Logic in a Popular Form

Banerjee, Sumanta

ISBN 10: 0857426168 / ISBN 13: 9780857426161

Published by Seagull Books, 2019

About this Item

Seller Inventory # 26376316735

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Logic in a Popular Form
• Publisher: Seagull Books
• Publication Date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0857426168
• ISBN 13: 9780857426161
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

Taking its title from Karl Marx’s description of religion as the world’s “logic in a popular form,” this book explores the hidden logic behind popular religions in nineteenth-century Bengal. Sumanta Banerjee examines cross-religious cults and the construction of Bengali myths and beliefs about godlings and spirits, approaching them as popular inventions that attempt to make sense of human existence in the face of an overwhelming and often hostile environment.

These religious manifestations of popular logic—ranging from Kali to Radha–Krishna to Satyapir to Tantric practice—are fluid and constantly innovating. Banerjee argues that they represent an alternative stream running parallel to, and often challenging, the more strictly structured beliefs and practices of the Indian religious establishments, whether Hindu, Islamic or Christian.

            Logic in a Popular Form brings to light many significant aspects of the multifaceted phenomenon of popular religion in Bengal, while tracing the impact of urbanization, colonialism, and nationalism. Banerjee re-examines the relevance of the beliefs and rituals that continue to survive in Bengali society today.

About the Author

Sumanta Banerjee is a cultural historian who specializes in research into popular culture, particularly of the colonial period. He is the author of many books, including The Parlour and the Streets: Elite and Popular Culture in Nineteenth Century Calcutta and Dangerous Outcast: The Prostitute in Nineteenth Century Bengal, both published by Seagull Books.