▁modern ▁H ind us ▁like ▁Tag ore ▁and ▁Gand hi , ▁but ▁also ▁" an ▁essential ▁common ality ▁between ▁philosoph ical ▁and ▁religious ▁trad itions ▁from ▁widely ▁dispar ate ▁cult ures ." ▁This ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁major ▁theme ▁in ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁R ene ▁Gu en on , ▁the ▁The osoph ical ▁Society , ▁and ▁the ▁contemporary ▁popular ity ▁of ▁eastern ▁relig ions ▁in ▁modern ▁spiritual ity . ▁Since ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁the ▁Per enn ial ist ▁position ▁has ▁been ▁critic ised ▁for ▁its ▁essential ism . ▁Social - const ruction ists ▁give ▁an ▁alternative ▁approach ▁to ▁religious ▁experience , ▁in ▁which ▁such ▁" ex per ien ces " ▁are ▁seen ▁as ▁being ▁determined ▁and ▁medi ated ▁by ▁cultural ▁determ ants : ▁ ▁As ▁Mich a els ▁notes : ▁ ▁R ine hart ▁also ▁points ▁out ▁that ▁" per enn ial ist ▁claims ▁not with standing , ▁modern ▁H indu ▁thought ▁is ▁a ▁product ▁of ▁history ", ▁which ▁" has ▁been ▁worked ▁out ▁and ▁expressed ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁historical ▁context s ▁over ▁the ▁preceding ▁two ▁hundreds ▁years ." ▁This ▁is ▁also ▁true ▁for ▁Rad h ak r ish an , ▁who ▁was ▁educated ▁by ▁mission aries ▁and , ▁like ▁other ▁ne o - V ed ant ins ▁used ▁the ▁pre val ent ▁western ▁understanding ▁of ▁India ▁and ▁its ▁culture ▁to ▁present ▁an ▁alternative ▁to ▁the ▁western ▁critique . ▁ ▁Universal ism , ▁commun al ism ▁and ▁H indu ▁national ism ▁According ▁to ▁Richard ▁King , ▁the ▁elev