Ambedkar on Religion

For Ambedkar saw religion not as a means to spiritual salvation of individual souls, but as a ‘social doctrine’ for establishing the righteous relations between man and man. Ambedkar’s philosophy of religion does not mean either theology or religion. Theology studies the nature, attributes and functions of God; whereas religion deals with things divine. Theology and religion may be linked together; but they are not philosophies. When we talk of philosophy of religion, it is taken as a critical estimate of the existing religions in general, and in particular to evaluate the teachings and doctrines of each religion, whether it is Hinduism, Islam or Christianity, in relation to man and society, because, a religion, ignoring the empirical needs of either man or of society, does not come upto the expectations of an intellectual like Ambedkar.The present work contains highly informative and well-researched articles on Ambedkar’s philosophy of religion. The main topics dealt are: Ambedkar’s Interpretation of Religion; Philosophy of Hinduism as Ambedkar Understood; Hindu Scriptures; Hindu Symbolism; Fate of Reformers; Counter Revolution; Philosophic Defence of Counter Revolution; The Hindu Social Stratification; Away from the Hindus; Caste and Conversion; Dr. Ambedkar’s Contribution to Buddhism; The Religious conversion of Ambedkar; Impact of Ambedkar’s Conversion to Buddhism; Resurgence of Buddhism in its Native Land; Viability of Buddhism; Islam etc.