*Men and Gods in a Changing World* by Judith M. Brown; SCM Press Ltd., London, 1980; Pp. 182. Price £ 5.95. The book is subtitled 'some themes in the religious experience of twentieth century Hindus and Christians'. This is an apt description of the scope of the book. The perspective of the study is that religions 'are essentially total world views: visions and explanations for the believer of the fundamental nature of man and the world he experiences.' These visions and explanations of the believers are intimately connected, though in different ways, to the particular historical context of social, political and intellectual environment in which the believers find themselves. The author's attempt is to discover the impact of the twentieth century on the religious experience of the educated Hindus in India and Christians in Britain. The analysis centers around changes in three basic constituent areas of religious experience of the people concerned, namely changes in their world view, changes in ways in which such world views are grounded in forms of religious authority and the communication network through which they are transmitted, and finally the pattern of behaviour in religious cult and total life style. On the basis of the empirical evidence, the limits of which the author readily acknowledges, she points to the areas of change in the religious world of the people of both traditions. The nature of religious authority differs in Hindu and Christian traditions. But some of the problems they face are similar. For example certain 'areas of life are separated out, governed by their own standards and conventions and dominated by their own group of specialists'. This in turn affects religious authority which has to deal with the total vision of reality. But there is an increasing emphasis on personal experience or individual authority in both traditions which again is understood and lived differently in both traditions. The last chapter is about 'A Spirituality for the Twentieth Century?' Spirituality is defined by the author as 'response to the central vision of meaning' experienced through acts of worship, rites of passage, attitude to life, etc. The author makes a distinction between Christian and Hindu Spirituality according to its purpose. The former has a vision of personal Divinity understood and experienced in personal relationship while the latter points to a release from transient forms, to a return to the source of being which is mysterious. But she hastens to add that in both traditions there are common groups with similar vision and similar response. Another 'marked feature of the religious experience of the educated in both traditions in this century' has been a 'refinding of the religious significance of the world.' This is a book written with commendable sensibility to both religious traditions. The problems of the religious minded people as well as the challenges they face in our times are analysed with the tools available to a historian. It is of particular interest to us in India as it gives a lot of very valuable insights to help understand our religiously plural life world. I will however ask two questions: Is a vision of Divinity in personal terms absolutely necessary to grow in inter-personal relationship as the author seem to suggest? There is what we call 'gods like an indirect approach'. Will not personal peace of mind and equilibrium lead to the understanding of man and inter-personal relationships? Is 'invented Hinduism' a happy phrase to use? We know that creative interpretation is a part of every religious tradition. The Indian villagers may not be *advaitins*. But they have something in common with their educated *advaitin* brethren as they speak of a religious power in phrases that ring of monism.

— A. M. A. Ayrookuzhiel Bangalore