Engaged Jainism: Critical and Constructive Studies of Jain Social Engagement
Edited by Christopher Jain Miller and Cogen Bohanec
Christopher Jain Miller and Cogen Bohanec’s groundbreaking co-edited volume, Engaged Jainism: Critical and Constructive Studies of Jain Social Engagement (SUNY Press), emerges from the scholarly research that began at Arihanta Institute’s First Annual Engaged Jain Studies Conference, “Defining Applied Jain Studies”.
Preview all of Engaged Jainism’s chapters below where you will find videos from each contributor wherein they explain their research questions, methodologies, findings, and arguments. Learn more about the field of Engaged Jain Studies, and join us as we continue to expand this important area of research at Arihanta Institute and in the collaborative MA and PhD programs in Engaged Jain Studies at Claremont School of Theology.
Critics' Reviews
This book will, in my opinion, revitalize the study of Jainism, so ably pioneered by Paul Dundas. "
Anonymous peer reviewer
A bold and much-needed intervention in the field of Jain Studies. "
Dr. Venu Mehta
Bhagwan Chandraprabha Endowed Assistant Professor in Jain Studies and Assistant Professor of Comparative Spiritualities, Claremont School of Theology
This excellent book is a milestone in Jain studies. Highlighting an often-neglected aspect of Jainism as a tradition that shows remarkable engagement with contemporary issues, it makes a timely and important contribution to a rapidly expanding field. "
Dr. Melanie Barbato
Pasifika Communities University, Fiji, Author of Jain Approaches to Plurality: Identity as Dialogue (Brill)
This book offers a sophisticated and multifaceted treatment of what ‘engaged Jainism’ has been and might mean going forward. For scholars of Jainism (and Asian religions generally), it offers a very helpful reflection upon methodologies and developments in the field. It also fills a huge need—especially enunciated by early undergraduate students—for rigorous instructional materials on how Jains actually apply their traditions and principles in modern society. "
Dr. Anil Mundra
Bhagvan Vimalnath Endowed Chair in Jain Studies and South Asian Religions, University of California, Santa Barbara
Engaged Jainism: Critical and Constructive Studies of Jain Social Engagement is available for pre-order from SUNY Press.
What is the field of Engaged Jain Studies? Christopher Jain Miller introduces the discipline:
How is Engaged Jainism organized? Cogen Bohanec shares the table of contents:
Table of Contents of Engaged Jainism: Hear from the Authors
Foreword by Dr. Parveen Jain, President and CEO, Arihanta Institute
Parveen Jain welcomes readers and gives insights from his Foreword.
Introduction “Conceptualizing ‘Engaged’ Jainism and the Field of ‘Engaged’ Jain Studies” by Christopher Jain Miller
Christopher Jain Miller explains his introductory chapter, which carefully defines the term “engaged” and observes fluid and flexible methodological tendencies in Engaged Jain Studies informing the volume’s contributions.
Section I: Critical Issues in “Engaged Jain Studies”
Chapter 1 “Applied to What? For Whose Benefit? A Critique of ‘Applied Jain Ethics' ” by Steven M. Vose
Steven M. Vose raises critical questions regarding who applies Jain principles as well as how and with what, exactly, these principles are engaged in society.
Chapter 2 “Jain Mantra Healing: Opportunities and Challenges of an Engaged/Applied Jain Studies” by Tine Vekemans
Tine Vekemans explores the tensions that arise in her research between emic Jain experiences and claims regarding Jain mantra healing and etic scholarly obligations of objectivity.
Section II: Social Engagement in the Diaspora
Chapter 3 “Engaged Curation: Challenges, Experiences, and Potentials from a Museum Exhibition about Jainism" by Johannes Beltz
Johannes Beltz describes his experiences, challenges, and the potentials faced when curating a Jain exhibition in engagement with the local Jain and Swiss communities at Museum Rietberg in Zürich, Switzerland.
Chapter 4 “Engaged Jain Yoga: Narendra Kumar Jain’s The Seven Stages of Enlightenment on the Berlin Wall” by Christopher Jain Miller
Christopher Jain Miller translates the ineffable artistic language of a contemporary Jain muralist who skillfully engaged the social histories of post-WWII Berlin and South Asian modern art at Berlin’s East Side Gallery.
Chapter 5 “Engaging Spaces: Jain Position and Identity in the Urban Space of Bangkok, Thailand” by Yifan Zhang
Yifan Zhang presents ethnographic encounters with Jains in Thailand as they engage their social spaces and nevertheless retain a commitment to their “Jain-ness.”
Section III: Engaging with Business & Economy
Chapter 6 “Engaging Jain Ideas: Interdisciplinary Business Ethics Education" by Benjamin Zenk
Benjamin Zenk argues for the engagement of Jain philosophy with some of the most important questions and issues in business ethics education.
Chapter 7 “Engaged Jain Business and Professional Culture" by Atul K. Shah Atul Shah shares insights from his experience of sustainable forms of Jain business and professional culture.
Section IV: Engaging To Protect Animals & The Environment
Chapter 8 “Jain Virtue Ethics Engaging with Animal Rights" by Cogen Bohanec
Cogen Bohanec engages Jain virtue ethics with critical debates about animal rights to help readers understand the added value of incorporating Jain views on animals.
Chapter 9 “Ahiṃsā, Anekānta, and Animal Rights: Engaging Plurality in our Planetary Context” by Andrew Bridges
Andrew Bridges engages the Jain concept of anekānta with animal rights to help us see the individual and species-level voices of non-human animals.
Chapter 10 “An American Panjrapole: Engaging Tradition and Innovation at Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary” by Jonathan Dickstein
Jonathan Dickstein presents ethnographic research showing how Jain values engage and entangle with the values of the Western animal sanctuary movement at Luvin Arms.
Chapter 11 “A Jain Perspective on Faux Meat: Engaging Jain Philosophy with Contemporary Debates” by Joey Tuminello
Joey Tuminello engages the Jain principle of nonviolence (ahiṃsā) in thought in Jain texts and in contemporary Jain online discourse with wider philosophical debates on faux meat.
Chapter 12 “Jain Ecotheology Engaging with Ecopsychology” by Cogen Bohanec
Cogen Bohanec engages Jain Ecotheology as found in Jain scriptures with the field of Ecospychology, and in doing so revists longstanding critiques of Jain perspectives on the environment and environmentalism.
Section V: Interfaith Engagement
Chapter 13 “Engaged Virtues: Cultivating Friendliness, Joy, Compassion, and Equanimity in Jain Thought" by Alba Rodríguez Juan
Alba Rodríguez Juan shows how Jains have engaged their social worlds with the four bhāvanas in Jain scriptures for centuries, and in engagement with Buddhist and Brahmanical traditions.
Chapter 14 “Engaging Difference: Approaches to Religious Pluralism in Haribhadra’s Yogabindu” by Christopher Chapple
Christopher Chapple presents his chapter on Haribhadra’s multi-faceted approach to engaging with other religious traditions and practices, and relates this to a paper he is presenting at Leiden University.
Chapter 15 “Fortuitous Jain Engagements with Non-Dualities: Jain Yoga in the Yogapradīpa and Yogasāra” by Corinna May Lhoir
Corinna May Lhoir shows how medieval Jain Yoga authors retained a commitment to their dualistic soteriology while engaging with and borrowing from other non-dual yoga systems.
Chapter 16 “The Anuvrat Movement: A Case of Socially Engaged Jainism” by Shivani Bothra
Shivani Bothra outlines a model of socially engaged Jainism using Acharya Tulsi’s Anuvrat movement as a noteworthy example.
Chapter 17 “Engaged Anekāntavāda: The Potential of Jain Philosophy for Grounding Dialogue Across Worldviews (With a Focus on Vijñāna Vedānta)” by Jeffery D. Long
Jeffery D. Long engages the Jain principle of anekāntavāda with his own Vijñāna Vedānta tradition’s notions of religious pluralism to inspire a novel approach to interreligious dialogue and understanding.
Engaged Jainism: Critical and Constructive Studies of Jain Social Engagement is available for pre-order from SUNY Press.
Claremont School of Theology (CST) offers a fully online Master of Arts in Engaged Jain Studies, the first of its kind. This program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of Jain philosophy and its practical applications in the modern world. Arihanta Institute faculty are engaged at CST as Adjunct Faculty members under an academic agreement, contributing their expertise and offering courses. This flexible, remote program is open to individuals of all backgrounds, with no requirement to adhere to Jain philosophy or identity and is designed to help students incorporate Jain wisdom into their personal and professional lives.
Cover Images (clockwise from top left):
Dr. Parveen Jain (CEO and President, Arihanta Institute) giving a keynote speech about Arihanta Institute at the Arihanta Institute Gala in Northern California (2023). (Source: Arihanta Institute)
From left to right: Mehool Sanghrajka (Insitute of Jainology) preparing to present Dr. Jasvant Modi (Vardhamana Charitable Foundation) with the Ahiṃsā award at the UK House of Commons (2023). (Source: Mehool Sanghrajka, Institute of Jainology)
Ruchika Chitrabhanu (The Earthen One) holding a rescued baby goat at an animal sanctuary in India. (Source: Ruchika Chitrabhanu)
Pramodabhen Chitrabhanu (PETA India) taking care for a rescued cow at an animal sanctuary in India. (Source: Ruchika Chitrabhanu)
Dr. Nitin Shah (right) performs a free eye examination for a patient in need (left) at the Healthfair at Huntington Park, Southern California. (Source: Nitin Shah)
Mahersh Shah, Nishma Shah, and Rehma Chandaria speak with a fellow member of the Jain community about veganism at the Jain Vegans booth in the United Kingdom. With special thanks to Sagar Shah at Jain Vegans (jainvegans.org) for providing this photograph. (Source: Sagar Shah, Jain Vegans)
Dr. Tushar Mehta (left front with sunglasses) volunteering with Health Education Project Haiti (hephaiti.com/education) in the town of Tiburon for a dental and medical project as well as a family planning program (2018). (Source: Tushar Mehta)
