by W.H. McLeod.
This is an Oxford University Press 1989 1st edition paperback or hardcover ex-library book. Both in good condition. Paperback cover is scuffed and dusty with a bent corner, but binding is tight and it appears unread. Hardcover is without dust jacket, and with library card on inside. Size: 8" x 5.5". Pages: 140.
What is Sikhism and who is a Sikh? This book surveys the history of the sect, showing how various circumstances influenced the criteria by which people could be identified. One belief is that Sikhism is the complete acceptance of the teachings of the tenth Guru, Gobind Singh. According to the tradition, a true Sikh must be of the Khalsa, the community founded by Guru Gobind Singh; yet, there are many who belong to families with a Khalsa heritage but no longer observe the tradition in its full rigor. And, there are many others who regard themselves as Sikhs but do not follow the discipline of the Khalsa, such as the so-called Sahaj-dhari Sikhs. McLeod examines these discrepansies and disagreements, offering a new discussion and analysis of who and what defines Sikhism.
You may or may not agree with McLeod, but I respect his early scholarship.