Compare without flattening

A better way to study traditions side by side.

11 min

Purpose

Help readers compare Hinduism, Islam, and other paths respectfully.

Key takeaway

Comparison should reveal distinctiveness and relationship, not force everything into sameness.

Good comparison preserves difference

If comparison makes two traditions sound identical, it has probably erased something important.

Ask what a practice does in the life of a practitioner: remembrance, surrender, discipline, purification, gratitude, justice, community, or devotion.

25 minutes

1Choose one theme: prayer, scripture, fasting, pilgrimage, service, or devotion.
2Describe how each tradition treats it in its own terms.
3Name one similarity.
4Name one difference that should not be erased.

Where am I using one tradition as the measuring stick?

What difference deserves respect?

What human need appears in both traditions through different forms?

Hinduism

Harvard Pluralism Project

Introduction to Hindu traditions, diversity, and lived practice.

Islam

Harvard Pluralism Project

Introduction to Islamic traditions, diversity, practice, and community life.

Understanding Hinduism

A Simple Guide to Hindu Thought, Texts, and Philosophy

Understanding Islam

A Simple Guide to a Misunderstood Faith

The Many Gitas

A Clear, Beginner-Friendly Guide to the Bhagavad Gita and the Other Great Gitas