The God Market  (English, Hardcover, Nanda Meera)

In The God Market: How Globalisation is Making India More Hindu, Nanda looks into the rising Hinduisation of India and how politicians are using Hindu rituals, traditions, and gurus to their advantage.

Summary Of The Book

Beginning with the post-independent era of our country, The God Market: How Globalisation Is Making India More Hindu goes on to explore how globalization has made our country more religious. The book is divided into five distinct sections. The first part discusses India and the Global Economy. It begins with neo-liberalism and goes on to discuss the important religious and political events of the post-independent era. This part also discusses the beginning of the modern welfare state, the emergence of nationalistic movements, ideological movements, and the democratic process.

The next section is titled The Rush Hour of the Gods. It discusses the alarming rate at which religiosity is increasing among the middle class in our country. Backed by research, Nanda highlights how religion has become more fervent today and how this is being exploited and encouraged by the new age Gurus. The third section discusses the State-Temple-Corporate Complex and the Banality of Hindu Nationalism. According to Nanda, religion and neo-liberalism dominate the society in India. This section explores the role of the government in matters of religion, and how the Hindu religion dominates a secular country. This section also focuses on the rapid rise in religious tourism and the Hindu influence on the education system.

The next part discusses India as a superpower and How We See Ourselves. Nanda discusses the feelings of cultural superiority among the Indians. She points how Hindus justify democracy and Nanda contrasts the Hindu notion with the objective facts. The final section is titled Rethinking Secularization. It discusses the contemporary global trends in secularism and religiosity. With examples, Nanda demonstrates how globalization has led to increase in religiosity. The final chapter tries to understand how we can rethink secularization and how globalization has actually affected our evolution.

The God Market: How Globalisation Is Making India More Hindu was originally published in 2009.

About Meera Nanda

Meera Nanda is a writer, teacher, science philosopher, and historian from India. Her other works include Breaking the Spell of Dharma and Other Essays, Prophets Facing Backward: Postmodernism, Science and Hindu Nationalism, and The Wrongs of the Religious Right: Reflections on Secularism, Science and Hindutva. Nanda received her PhD from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She has the John Templeton Foundation Fellow in Religion and Science and Research Fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies to her credit.