Friedhelm Hardy

Friedhelm Ernst Hardy (1943 – 4 August 2004), also known as Fred Hardy, was Professor of Indian Religions, teaching at King's College London. He was a linguist familiar with both classical and modern Indian languages, described in his obituary as "unrivalled in this country and possibly anywhere in the world today". The resultant thesis was detailed to the point that it had to be abbreviated for its 1983 publication. His book Viraha-bhakti was considered to have contained some major discoveries. Accordingly, South Indian texts illustrate close parallels to the Sanskrit traditions of Krishna and his gopi companions, so ubiquitous in later North Indian text and imagery. Some consider his work fundamental to the study of how Hinduism developed. Modern Myth of Hinduism He has suggested: That the global title of "Hinduism" has been given to [such a variety of religions] must be regarded as an act of pure despair. Pluralism in religion He had concluded: religious pluralism is demonstrable nonsense.

Other works and projects His also was an editor of a general companion to Indic religions, The World's Religions: the Religions of Asia published in 1990. He was also notably invited to give the Wilde Lectures on Comparative Religion at Oxford University were later published in 1994 as The Religious Culture of India: Power, Love and Wisdom.