PHD Curriculum

The Engaged Jain Studies (EJS) track at Claremont School of Theology (CST), developed and taught in partnership with Arihanta Institute, provides doctoral-level training and competence in the study of the Jain tradition in South Asia and its diaspora, using engaged methodologies and analytical frameworks. The program trains students in the historical, anthropological, linguistic, and philosophical dimensions of the Jain tradition, focusing on how Jains, Jain ideas, and Jain scriptural traditions engage with their social worlds in the past and present. Combining scriptural study with ethnographic engagement, the EJS track also focuses on developing a critical understanding of the social lives of Jain scriptures as they are constructively instrumentalized to address pressing social concerns and issues of contemporary relevance. Following the Jain tradition’s emphasis on nonviolence and compassion toward all forms of life, the track presupposes a non-anthropocentric worldview and total liberation horizon, and therefore also includes immersion in vegan studies, food studies, critical animal studies, environmental studies, yoga studies, and other allied fields of academic inquiry.

The faculty accepting advisees in the EJS track are:

• Cogen Bohanec
• Jonathan Dickstein
• Venu Mehta
• Christopher Jain Miller

Drs. Bohanec and Dickstein are CST Affiliate Faculty with primary appointments at Arihanta Institute, Dr. Miller has dual faculty appointments at CST and Arihanta Institute, and Dr. Mehta is CST faculty. Students are required to take 26 credits taught by faculty from CST and 24 credits with faculty from Arihanta Institute.

Previous knowledge of languages relevant to the applicant's research interests is strongly preferred.

For the track elective taught by Arihanta faculty students may choose:

For the track elective taught by CST faculty students may choose:

• Gender, Women, and Jain Spiritual Practices
• Studies in Jain Literature and Philosophy
• Theories and Praxis of Non-violence and Jainism

Students work with their advisor to choose interdisciplinary courses relevant to the student’s interests, professional goals, and dissertation.

Each written exam is proctored and is limited to four hours’ time. Students may not consult notes, books, or online resources during the written examinations.

The reading list and questions for each exam will be worked out in dialogue between the student and examining professor for that exam. It is the student’s responsibility to work out an agreement on the reading list (normally the equivalent of 12–20 books) in sufficient time to prepare for the exam. Although all the exams will be distributed to all the committee members, the examining professor has the primary responsibility for composing and grading each exam.

All EJS students take 4 exams:

• Engaged methods and analytical frameworks
• The field of Jain studies
• A chosen field of academic inquiry close to the student’s own research interests (e.g. vegan studies, yoga studies, food studies)
• Another chosen field of academic inquiry close to the student’s own research interests (e.g. vegan studies, yoga studies, food studies)

During the months leading up to qualifying exams, the student works with their dissertation committee members to develop a full proposal. The final draft of the dissertation proposal must be submitted to the entire committee at the same time as the qualifying exams. The proposal should follow the guidelines listed in the PhD “Common Requirements” section of the CST Catalog and be about 20 pages long.