There are a number of scriptures and holy books in hinduism. Aslan is willing to ignore all of that because, in his view, religions are all the same and whats written in the holy books is irrelevant. Reza aslan s show on hindu mendicants is bigoted no matter how you look at it the author and tv host has been criticised for his feature on indias aghoris. Aslan is a member of the american academy of religion, the society of biblical literature, and the international quranic studies association. While reza aslan has written a blasphemous book about why he does not believe the biblical account of the life, death and resurrection of jesus christ, william d. Reza aslan is an iranianamerican scholar of religious studies, writer, and television host.
Reza aslan is a bestselling author and a scholar of religion. Aghori sadhus dec 22, 2014 the contradictions of reza aslan s believer save this story for later. Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the puranas, the ramayana and the mahabharata. Cnn presenter reza aslan has been heavily criticized after he ate part of a human brain while filming with a hindu cannibal sect in india. This updated edition addresses the events of the past decade, analyzing how they have influenced islams position in modern culture. There is no single scripture as it is in other religions like christianity and islam. Aslan is a writer, producer, and scholar of religions. The origins, evolution, and future of islam and zealot. In the remainder of the book, aslan discusses christianity another example of humanized divinity and islam, in which the struggle to truly understand the concept of god as something more than a divine being reaches its limits. Reza aslan is an acclaimed writer and scholar of religions whose books include no god but god. Why some hindus are angry about reza aslans cnn show.
However, cnns new series believer produced by reza aslan checks the box in offending a lot of everyday practicing hindus. Now he is studying krishna and ram, possibly for his next book. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism. Reza aslan, the scholar and tv presenter, has been pressured to eat human brains while filming with a fringe, cannibalistic hindu sect for a new series on the worlds religions. Aslan is showing, he is equating hinduism with all other religions that are governed by a single book, which are commandments driven, which have religious bureaucracies, and have history of countless genocides committed in the jihads and the inquisitions. According to reza aslan, our desire to humanize god is hardwired in our brains, making it a central feature of nearly every religious tradition. Five of the hindu holy books are the rig veda, bhagavad gita, sama veda, yajur veda, and athava veda. Finalist for the guardian first book award in no god but god, internationally acclaimed scholar reza aslan explains islamthe origins and evolution of the faithin all its beauty and complexity. Each episode featured the sensational and disgusting practices of fringe groups connected to hinduism, christianity and judaism, which, unsurprisingly. Reza aslans believer an exhibit of unconcealed hinduphobia. The life and times of jesus of nazareth, was interviewed by fox news lauren green for spirited debate. Obscure cults like jezus cinderland featured on cnns believer with reza aslan arent the only ones who believe that the world will come to an end in a dramatic fashion. However, the holy books in hinduism are the basis on which we have evolved our culture and way of. Hindu objections to reza aslans documentary are missing a.
The veda is a rather unusual collection of literature. Unlike christianity or islam, it is a not a religion that is governed by the book. The oldest veda is called the rig veda and was written in sanskrit a language. Simpson has authored one of the most interesting accounts of christianity you might ever read, written from the heart and with brutal honesty about the darker side of life, compassion. Reza aslan on the history of god, religious interpretation. Reza aslan, host of the cnn original series believer, explains hindus concept of god. No god but god is a persuasive and elegantly written account of the roots of this reformation and the future of islamic faith.
Simultaneously reflecting on his own lifelong, winding spiritual journey, he concludes, it is we who have fashioned god in our image, not the other way around. A human history, is aimed at the analytically minded spiritual seeker, the type who hopes to answer deep questions on the divine with study data and tidbits. The origins, evolution, and future of islam, beyond fundamentalism. Greens opinion seemed to be that as a muslim, aslan had no right to write a book about jesus and the whole thing was some kind of antichristian plot. This article was adapted from his newest book, zealot. The views expressed in this column are aslans alone. Azlan s series debuted sunday march 5, taking bourdains inveterate search for the freakish and repulsive to india, with aslan perched aboard a dinghy along the banks of hinduism s holy city of varanasi. The author seems anxious to shock readers with his argument that god is. The life and times of jesus of nazareth has taken off as a cultural phenomenon.
Due to hindus having a wide spectrum of views, diversity and strong beliefs in pluralism, it is not often that hindus are unified in being deeply offended. Hinduism the worlds oldest living religion can seem complicated to outsiders. The most holy of the hindu books is written in sanskrit and is referred to as the vedas. Hindu objections to reza aslans documentary are missing a crucial point we should look at aslans attempt to understand and explain indian traditions as a nascent revivification of islamic. The life and times of jesus of nazareth, an historical account of the life of jesus, which analyzes the various religious perspectives on jesus, as well as the creation of christianity. Why we made god in our own image the washington post. A ridiculously hostile foxnews interview has certainly helped. These questions are at the center of reza aslans new book god. Reza aslan, the scholar and tv presenter, has been pressured to eat human brains while filming with a fringe, cannibalistic hindu sect for a new series on the worlds religions but that might.
Reza aslan on the history of god, religious interpretation, and isis january 3, 2018 january 4, 2018 faraz ahmed believer. A little later, reza aslan, the author of the hugelysuccessful the zealot which is the story of jesus of nazareth not jesus. Cnn presenter reza aslan eats human brain daily mail online. A human history questions human perceptions of god. The first episode examines the aghori sect of hinduism, some of whose adherents deploy spectacular practices see all full list on the aghori have only been reported in india. The life and times of jesus of nazareth created controversy recently. The truitt center for religious and spiritual life offers a series of short classes this spring designed to teach participants about the origins, beliefs and practices of various faith traditions. But that might be the least of the problems the show has caused the american author. The episode, part of a series called believer with reza. Reza aslan basically lied about muhammad and slavery. The holy books in hinduism are there only for guidance. What reza aslan actually says about jesus cnn belief.
According to reza aslan, we are now living in the era of the islamic reformation. Confronting religious extremism in the age of globalization, zealot. In the book, aslan argues that jesus was a political, rebellious and eschatological end times jew whose proclamation of the coming kingdom of god was a call for regime change. The religious scriptures are not followed word to word. Reza aslans believer sensationalizes and stereotypes hindus. Larry hurtado described the thesis circulating in lay circles, that jesus was a military revolutionary, as a zombie idea from what i gather, a key conclusion of aslans 20 book which had been debunked over and over again by scholarship in the past century. Warren larson reza aslans book zealot shot to the top of the bestseller list due to a notorious interview on fox news, where lauren green began by asking the author why a muslim would write about christianitys founder. Confronting religious extremism in the age of globalization. Hindu students from all over the united states have expressed strong disappointment and opposition towards cnns believer episode on hinduism, which aired on march 5th and showed a heavily derogatory and outofcontext depiction of hinduism and india. Just two weeks after aslans interview on nprs fresh air, his interpretation of jesus life and intentions has attained number one status on bestseller lists. Vedas and upanishadas are the most authoritative amongst all hindu scriptures and holy books. Why some hindus are angry about reza aslans cnn show believer in the first episode, aslan eats cooked human tissue with members of a fringe hindu sect. He spoke with the forward about psychology, belief and adam and eve. As linker writes, atheists take religion seriously.
Reza aslans believer an exhibit of unconcealed hinduphobia hindus, and every other rational member regardless of their religious cultural affiliation must come together and speak out against aslans unconcealed hinduphobia. Isis notion of reestablishing slavery as part of islam i mean, if you know anything about islamic history the very first thing that muhammad did was outlaw slavery. The diplomats sanjay kumar spoke to reza aslan, whose book zealot. At the end of july fox news reporter lauren green interviewed him about his book zealot. Reza aslans bachelors degree is in religious studies, with an emphasis on scripture and traditions which at santa clara university means the new testament. This is where author, scholar, and multimedia force reza aslan begins his slim, yet ambitious book god. The book that changed reza aslans mind about jesus. In the episode, contributor reza aslan visits the hindu holy city of varanasi, india to learn about hinduism and ends up focusing on the. There was a window when reza aslan had my sympathy. Asked in hinduism what did the hindus have instead of one holy book. It is all about the way of life and dharma righteous living. The scriptures of the vedas are meant to guide hindu believers in their daily lives. Do you consider reza aslan to be a recognised scholar of early christianity. Reza aslans show on hindu mendicants is bigoted no matter how you look at it the author and tv host has been criticised for his feature on indias aghoris.