The Renewal of the Priesthood: Modernity and Traditionalism in a South Indian Temple

The Renewal of the Priesthood modernity and traditionalism in a South Indian temple. In this book, Chris Fuller studies a community of professional priests from a historical perspective. Since the late 1970s, he has observed the priests of the Minakshi temple of Madurai and studied a transformed priesthood that combines tradition with modernity. The richly documented and analysed volume is a sequel to his earlier work and represents over 20 years of intensive fieldwork at the temple and among its priests. Much has changed for the priests at the Minakshi temple over the years. At the root of the priests’ changed circumstances is the declining Anti Brahmanism together with religious revivalism in Tamilnadu. Since the mid-1980s, growing urban affluence has seen more people spend more money on rituals in the Minakshi temple. The priests have thus become better-off, and some have also found new earning opportunities in temples as far away as America. During the same period, due partly to growing Hindu nationalism in India, the Tamilnadu Government’s religious policies have become more favourable toward Hinduism and Brahman temple priests. More priests’ sons now study in religious schools where they learn authoritative Sanskrit ritual texts by heart and overall educational standards have improved. Fuller shows that the priests have become more ‘professional’ and modern-minded while also insisting on the legitimacy of tradition. He concludes by critiquing the analysis of modernity and tradition in social science. In showing how the priests are authentic representatives of modern India, this book tells a story whose significance extends far beyond the confines of the Minakshi temple itself. Written fluidly and in an engaging way, this book is bound to interest scholars of sociology, social anthropology, history, and the lay reader alike.