Karma and Rebirth in Hinduism

Provides an argumentative introduction to the doctrines of karma and rebirth in Hinduism. It explains how various Hindu texts, traditions, and figures have understood the philosophical nuances of karma and rebirth. It also acquaints readers with some of the most important academic debates about these doctrines. The book’s primary argumentative aim is to defend the rationality of accepting the truth of karma and rebirth through a critical examination of an array of arguments for and against these doctrines. It concludes by highlighting the relevance of karma and rebirth to contemporary philosophical debates on a variety of issues.

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“In this luminous engagement with themes relating to the rationality and the reality of karma and rebirth, Swami Medhananda skillfully leads the reader through a vast body of specialist literature…. This meticulous study reminds us that we should not speak in terms of the singular Hindu response to vexed questions such as how karma works or what gets reborn; at the same time, without getting lost in the detailed terrain it sensitively addresses the big question of whether it is rational to believe in cosmological and existential processes involving karma and rebirth. Thus, this overview is an exemplar of cross-cultural philosophy of religion where meticulous attention to Indic concepts of consciousness, language, and reality animates a critical dialogue with Western standpoints.”
 
— Ankur Barua, Cambridge University