Kipling’s Ecclectic Religious Identity

Abstract

Joseph Rudyard Kipling (1865 -1936) is one of the most popular writers in English, in both prose and verse, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Rudyard Kipling does not subscribe to any particular religion, but he is deeply a religious man because he believes in one absolute God, and the divine purpose behind the creation of man. Although Rudyard Kipling uses a lot of Christian symbols in his works, he is not a Christian. In some of his stories, he shows a unique insight into the redeeming power of love, which is the main pillar of Sufism. He also accepts some of the Islamic precepts however he is not a Muslim. He is very sympathetic to Buddhism and Hinduism and always alludes to Hindu gods and goddesses, but he does not believe in Hinduism or Buddhism. Rudyard Kipling uses a lot of religious themes, motives and symbols in his Works but he does not subscribe to any particular religious views at all.