Podcast 33
33. Jonathan Dickstein | An American Panjrapole
Join Professor Christopher Jain Miller as he sits down with Arihanta Institute Professor Dr. Jonathan Dickstein, Tīrthaṅkara Śreyāṃśanātha Endowed Assistant Professor of Jain and Vegan Studies, to discuss his chapter, “An American Panjrapole: Engaging Tradition and Innovation at Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary,” from the forthcoming edited volume, Engaged Jainism: Critical and Constructive Studies of Jain Social Engagement (SUNY 2025). Professor Dickstein shares insights from his fieldwork at Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary, exploring the dynamic intersection of Jain ethical traditions and contemporary animal sanctuary practices. Discover what it means to be a “scholar-practitioner,” how this perspective informs his research and advocacy, and how the concept of an “American Panjrapole” reframes connections between Jain models of animal care and modern sanctuary movements. You will also hear moving stories about the sanctuary’s residents, including Felix the pig. Don’t miss this thoughtful and engaging conversation!
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES & LINKS
- Voices in Vegan Studies Speaker Series | May - Oct 2026
- Engaged Jainism: Critical and Constructive Studies of Jain Social Engagement
- Vegan Studies Initiative @ Arihanta Institute | Courses, Speaker Series, Research & More!
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ABOUT OUR PODCAST GUEST
Dr. Jonathan Dickstein specializes in South Asian Religions, Religion and Ecology, and Comparative Religious Ethics. He received his doctoral degree in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he wrote his dissertation on ancient Indian animal taxonomies and their relevance for religious ritual and dietary practice. Jonathan’s current work focuses on Jainism and contemporary ecological issues, and accordingly extends into Critical Animal Studies, Food Studies, and Diaspora Studies.
Jonathan has published in a wide array of interdisciplinary journals on topics such as veganism and politics, yoga and diet, Jain veganism, and the ethic of nonviolence (ahiṃsa). Jonathan considers himself a scholar-practitioner, having spent many years not only in libraries but also in public advocating for justice for both humans and nonhumans alike.
ABOUT OUR PODCAST HOST
Christopher Jain Miller is the co-founder, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Professor of Jain and Yoga Studies at Arihanta Institute. He completed his PhD in the study of Religion at the University of California, Davis and is also a Visiting Researcher at the University of Zürich's Asien-Orient-Institut and Visiting Professor at Claremont School of Theology where he co-developed and co-runs a remotely available Masters Degree Program focusing on Engaged Jain Studies. His current research focuses on Engaged Jainism and Modern Yoga, and he is the author of a number of articles and book chapters concerned with Jainism and the practice of modern yoga. Christopher is the author of Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation (Routledge 2024), as well as co-editor of the volumes Engaged Jainism: Critical and Constructive Approaches to the Study of Jain Social Engagement (SUNY 2026) and Beacons of Dharma: Spiritual Exemplars for the Modern Age (Lexington 2020).
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