Godlessness in the Land of Gods: Unravelling Atheism in a Hindu Context

Abstract

Current literature on atheism, due to a lack of cultural nuance or specification, often assumes that religious decline in Hinduism functions similarly to Abrahamic religions. In doing so, it ignores the pluralistic nature of Hinduism, where religious practice varies by linguistic community and caste. We propose that, to understand religious decline in Hinduism, we must first understand group differences in how the religion is practiced. We conducted qualitative interviews with two Indian linguistic communities, Gujaratis and Maharashtrians, to better understand the factors that influence theism and, consequently atheism. Through 75 qualitative interviews spanning across the two communities and high, middle, and low castes, we suggest that Credibility Enhancing Displays (CREDs) and secular education influence religiosity, though their effects differ by community and caste. Gujaratis exhibited higher religiosity due to high CREDs exposure through time-consuming rituals, signalling trustworthiness in trade, but this varied by caste. Maharashtrians showed more caste-based variability in the strength of belief. Brahmins (high-caste members) maintained strong religiosity through CREDs and religious education, while middle-caste individuals engaged in fuzzy fidelity. Their religious engagement was selective, participating socially without strong belief, due to lower CRED exposure and higher secular education. Lower-caste Maharashtrians, exposed to anti-caste, secular literature and fewer CREDs, recognized that even minimal religious participation reinforced their subjugation and hence actively opposed religion. Our findings suggest that atheism within Hinduism is plural, not merely a rejection of orthodoxy, but a response to intersecting social structures (e.g. community and caste) that shape one’s identity.