In 1839 a diverse group of Hindu leaders began gathering in Calcutta to share and propagate their faith in a non-idolatrous form of worship. The group, known as the Tattvabodhini Sabha, met weekly to worship and hear discourses from members on the virtues of a rational and morally responsible mode of worship. They called upon ancient sources of Hindu spirituality to guide them in developing a form of modern theism they referred to as "Vedanta." In this book, Brian Hatcher translates these hitherto unknown discourses and situates them against the backdrop of religious and social change in early colonial Calcutta. Apart from bringing to light the theology and moral vision of an association that was to have a profound influence on religious and intellectual life in nineteenth-century Bengal, Hatcher's analysis promotes reflection on a variety of topics central to understanding the development of modern forms of Hindu belief and practice.

Note on Transliteration and Primary SourcesIntroduction1. Vedanta according to Rammohan Roy2. Debendranath Tagore and the Tattvabodhini Sabha3. New Members and a New Founder4. Bourgeois Vedanta for the Bhadralok5. Missionaries and Modern Vedantists6. The Text of Sabhyadiger vaktra and the Problem of Authorship7. Who Wrote these Discourses?8. The Complete English Translation of Sabhadiger vaktraAppendix 1.Appendix 2.appendix 3.