Walking Naked - Women, Society, Spirituality in South India

Author: Vijaya Ramaswamy
Publisher: Indian Institute of Advanced Study
Year: 1997
Language: English
Pages: 257
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8185952396

Description

This book maps the spiritual history of women in the context of societal structures through historical time and space. The study looks at the issues of gender inequalities in the context of dominance and power and the debates over female sexuality and salvation.

This book maps the spiritual history of women in the context of societal structures through historical time and space. The study looks at the issues of gender inequalities in the context of dominance and power and the debates over female sexuality and salvation. In the process spirituality emerges as a powerful form of women's self-expression.

This book maps the spiritual history of women in the context of societal structures through historical time and space. The study looks at the issues of gender inequalities in the context of dominance and power and the debates over female sexuality and salvation. In the process spirituality emerges as a powerful form of women’ self-expression finding its voice in the various ‘cathartic’ spiritual movements. Manifestations of female spiritual movements. Manifestations of female spirituality in particular societies, whether feudal, quasi-feudal or colonia, varied from tacit conformism (to male spiritual/ social leadership) to deviance and even defiance. The author goes back in historical time to the ‘material-spiritualism’ of the Sangam Tamils and forward into the era of colonial transition. The Deccan and the region south of the Vindhyas form the geographical liminalities of this study which opens up the possibilities of a wider study of women, society and spirituality in the broader context of the South Asian region.

Contents

Acknowledgements
Author’s Note
Preface

CHAPTER I
Gendered Spirituality: A South Indian Perspective

CHAPTER II
Woman and Spirituality in the Sangam Age

CHAPTER III
Women in Buddhism and Jainism

CHAPTER IV
Bride, Demoness, Other: Women in the Early Devotional Movements in South India

CHAPTER V
Rebels-Housewives: Women in Virasaivism

CHAPTER VI
Women’In’, Women ‘Out’: Women Within the Warkari Panths

CHAPTER VII
Transition: Gender, Spirituality and the Politics of Freedom

Epilogue
Index