The Philosophy of the Bhagavad-Gita

Ithamar Theodor is Professor of Hindu studies at Zefat Academic College. He also teaches Asian and Jewish Studies at Bar-Ilan University. A graduate of the Faculty of Theology in the University of Oxford, and a Life Member of Clare Hall in the University of Cambridge, he is the author of Exploring the Bhagavad-Gita: Philosophy, Structure and Meaning (2010, a Choice Outstanding Academic Title selection and winner of the 2013 DANAM-TakshaShila Book Award for excellence in Indic Studies, also published in six languages); the co-editor (with Zhihua Yao) of Brahman and Dao: Comparative Studies of Indian and Chinese Philosophy and Religion (2014); the author of The 'Fifth Veda' of Hinduism: Poetry, Philosophy and Devotion in the Bhagavata Purana (2016); the co-editor (with Yudit Kornberg Greenberg) of Dharma and Halacha: Comparative Studies in Hindu and Jewish Philosophy and Religion (2018); and the editor of The Bhagavad-Gita: A Critical Introduction (2021).

• Acknowledgements; 1. Applying a philosophical approach; 2. Dharma, karma-yoga and dharma-yoga; 3. Rebirth in the Bhagavad-Gītā; 4. Yoga in the Bhagavad-Gītā; 5. Sāṅkhya in the Bhagavad-Gītā; 6. Jñāna and the Upaniṣadic nature of the Bhagavad-Gītā; 7. Bhakti in the Bhagavad-Gītā; 8. Concepts of Divinity in the Bhagavad-Gītā; 9. The Bhagavad-Gita's educational doctrine; 10. Glossary; 11. Bibliography; 12. Index.

'This is an excellent monograph that provides a systematic exploration of the major themes and teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. All too often, the Gita is treated as a kind of 'grab bag' of ancient Indian philosophies, lacking a coherent, overarching vision. The analysis provided by Ithamar Theodor, however, belies this approach. With chapters organized around major themes of traditional Indian thought, such as dharma and the process of rebirth, Theodor demonstrates that there is, indeed, an internally cohesive and logical system to be found in the Gita's teachings. Theodor's manuscript is persuasive in its arguments and promises to be a transformative work in the academic study of the Bhagavad Gita. It will no doubt spur debate as well, given how entrenched the dominant view of this text as not a systematic work of philosophy is in the academy.' Jeffrey D. Long, Carl W. Zeigler Professor of Religious Studies, Elizabethtown College