The Hindu Religious Traditions: A Comprehensive Introduction is a scholarly contribution from Revd Dr Israel Selvanayagam to the study of Hinduism and academia in its entirety. Dr Selvanayagam is not only a great teacher, but also an erudite scholar, theologian, and a passionate practitioner of inter-religious dialogue. He has taught Hinduism in different theological seminaries, both in India as well as the United Kingdom, and inspired many to delve deeply into the rich and varied heritage of Indian religious traditions. He has also served as a mentor to many students and researchers of theology for nearly three decades. Through his contributions to the Department of Inter-Religious Dialogue of the World Council of Churches, he has been influential in echoing polyphonic and harmonious multi-cultural intersections.

This compendium on Hinduism comes from a person who studied and taught Hinduism with passion and zeal. It is a fact that there is no dearth of knowledge and literature concerning the study of Hinduism. However, the significance of this work lies in the precise and meticulous in-depth analysis of the religious tradition it offers by weighing specifically on all its particularities, specificities and the comprehensive treatment the subject matter demands. The book extols the depth of Hindu tradition in the average reader's idiom. The author has been successful in compiling the faith and practice of a community with a long history of tradition, both oral and written, lucidly and comprehensively.

The Hindu religious traditions together (or Hinduism in common identity) have attracted many popular and scholarly expressions and analogies. They include ocean, banyan tree, encyclopaedia, kaleidoscopic vision, poly-paradigmatic structure, family of religious traditions, conglomeration of myths, stories and ideas and multifarious structure. Of course, they do not help us to fully grasp the depth and width of the nature, origin, development and coherence of India's major Hindu religious traditions. They are unique, often perplexing and rarely stunning. Then, the subtitle of this book 'A Comprehensive Introduction' may sound presumptive, though we hope that after reading, the readers may find that it is justified, reasonable and modest.

There is no dearth of literature on 'Hinduism', particularly in English, from different perspectives such as philosophical, historical, linguistic, anthropological, psychological, cultural, liturgical, theological, and so on. Given the magnitude of volumes, monographs, translations, essays, articles and postings on websites, one may wonder if we need another book on the Hindu religious traditions. However, we think that while drawing materials from standard works, this book is unique in its approach and contents. There is a special reason and background for producing it.

In India, over fifty-five Protestant institutions of theological education and ministerial training (seminaries and colleges) are affiliated to the Senate of Serampore College (University) based in the north of Kolkata; the study of Hinduism was one of the main purposes of establishing this College in 1910. Since then the study of Hinduism both in its survey form and specialist form is mandatory for students. There are graduate (Bachelor of Divinity), postgraduate (Master of Theology) and doctoral studies and research. In addition, diploma and special studies take place in these institutions on regional and local traditions according to their capacity to offer and facilitate them. Often this is along with the study of other religions as well as comparative studies and studies of interreligious relations and dialogue.

From Orientalists, Christian missionaries and civil servants, Western contribution to the study of and scholarship and publications on 'Hinduism' or aspects of it is overwhelming. It is an irony that resources, both library and personnel, in some Western universities are greater than in India. Therefore, researchers from India continue to go to these universities for their higher studies, In recent years, areas like Tantra and Yoga have drawn attention and elicited interest more than ever before in the West. But the intention, focus and methods of all such studies have hardly any appeal to the socio-economic realities of life in 'Hindu India' and particularly to the seminarians, who have an obligation to study and relate it to their faith, life and witness.

Introductory materials on the Hindu religious traditions produced by Hindu writers follow different perspectives and methods, which do not help Christian seminarians as they are orientated mainly to historical-textual studies applied to the Biblical traditions. Most Hindu writers, including great scholars like S. Radhakrishnan, have approached the subject from a philosophical perspective and their influence can be seen in the studies in the philosophy departments of Indian universities where only 'Hindu philosophy' is allowed and covered. However, a few monographs are accessible, reasonable and readable. They include R.G. Bhandarkar's Vaisnavism, Saivism and Minor Religious Systems (1913), T.M.P. Mahadevan's Outlines of Hinduism (1956), and D.S. Sarma's Renascent Hinduism (1966) and Hinduism Through the Ages (1973). The many editions of these books evidence their usefulness for generations of students.