The Construction of Religious Boundaries: Culture, Identity and Diversity in the Sikh Tradition

Abstract

This text lays the foundation for reinterpretation of religion and society in India. Using post-structuralist theory, the author suggests an alternative to earlier scholarly narratives that saw Sikhism, Hinduism, and Islam as historically given categories encompassing well-demarcated and self-conscious units of religious identity. The theoretical advances are made through a searching examination of Sikh historical materials.