Cultural Hindus

A Cultural Hindu is a religiously unobservant individual who identifies with Hinduism, usually due to family background.[1]

Definition

Emory University professor John Y. Fenton defines the locution as follows:[1]

The term "cultural Hindu" generally refers to Desis with a Hindu family background who have low observance of religious practices and whose identification with the Hindu religious tradition is primarily cultural or communal.[1]

The term has come into vogue as a result of secularization.[2] Cultural Hindus, while not religiously devout, may still observe Hindu festivals, such as Diwali.[3] For these individuals, this commemoration of Hindu festivals, as well as occasional temple attendance, serve as a celebration of their heritage.[4]

See also

• Cultural Christians, Christian culture
• Secular Jews, Jewish culture
• Cultural Muslims, Islamic culture

References

1. Fenton, John Y. (1988). Transplanting Religious Traditions: Asian Indians in America. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 59. ISBN 9780275926762. The term "cultural Hindu" refers to Indians with a Hindu family background who have low observance of religious practices and whose identification with the Hindu religious tradition is primarily cultural or communal.
2. Beit-Hallahmi, Benjamin (21 August 2014). Psychological Perspectives on Religion and Religiosity. Taylor & Francis. p. 307. ISBN 9781317610366. Terms such as "cultural Christian," "cultural Moslem," or "cultural Hindu" express the reality of seculariztion, where labels imply family descent, but not any practices.
3. "The Hindu Youth Research Project" (PDF). The Oxford Center for Hindu Studies. 2001. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
4. Brosius, Christiane (12 June 2012). India’s Middle Class: New Forms of Urban Leisure, Consumption and Prosperity. Taylor & Francis. p. 240. ISBN 9781136704833.