Engaged Jainism
Critical and Constructive Studies of Jain Social Engagement
Will be published approx. on 2. September 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
448 pages
979-8-8558-0572-7 (ISBN)
Description
Explores the manifold ways in which Jains and Jain ideas become engaged in social worlds.
The Jain tradition, with roots in ancient India but now spread across the globe, is anything but static and monolithic. In Engaged Jainism, an interdisciplinary cohort of academics and practitioners explore the manifold ways in which Jains and Jain ideas become engaged in social worlds-historically, philosophically, philologically, and anthropologically. Following the legacy of Engaged Buddhism, the groundbreaking volume edited by Christopher S. Queen and Sallie B. King, this volume shows how Jain traditions become engaged in everyday life, puts Jain ideas in dialogue with Western philosophical traditions, and examines the ways in which Jains have maintained Jain identity in their engagement with other religious traditions and cultural influences in the past and present. Across all of these disciplinary approaches, Jainism emerges as a dynamic, protean, and diverse tradition.
The Jain tradition, with roots in ancient India but now spread across the globe, is anything but static and monolithic. In Engaged Jainism, an interdisciplinary cohort of academics and practitioners explore the manifold ways in which Jains and Jain ideas become engaged in social worlds-historically, philosophically, philologically, and anthropologically. Following the legacy of Engaged Buddhism, the groundbreaking volume edited by Christopher S. Queen and Sallie B. King, this volume shows how Jain traditions become engaged in everyday life, puts Jain ideas in dialogue with Western philosophical traditions, and examines the ways in which Jains have maintained Jain identity in their engagement with other religious traditions and cultural influences in the past and present. Across all of these disciplinary approaches, Jainism emerges as a dynamic, protean, and diverse tradition.
Reviews / Votes
"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." - Melanie Barbato, Pasifika Communities University, Fiji"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." - Anil Mundra, University of California, Santa Barbara
"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
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Albany, NY
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
US School Grade: College Graduate Student and over
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
1 Tables, black and white; 2 Halftones, black and white; 9 Figures
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 153 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
597 gr
ISBN-13
979-8-8558-0572-7 (9798855805727)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Christopher Jain Miller | Cogen Bohanec
Engaged Jainism
Critical and Constructive Studies of Jain Social Engagement
E-Book
03/2026
State University of New York Press
€39.49
Available for download
Persons
Christopher Jain Miller is Vice President of Academic Affairs and Professor of Jain and Yoga studies at the Arihanta Institute, Visiting Researcher at the University of Zuerich's Asien-Orient-Institut, and Affiliate Professor of engaged Jain studies at the Claremont School of Theology. He is the author of Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation. Cogen Bohanec is Assistant Professor in Sanskrit and Jain studies at the Arihanta Institute and Affiliate Professor of engaged Jain studies at the Claremont School of Theology. He is the author of Bhakti Ethics, Emotions, and Love in Gau?iya Vai??ava Metaethics.
Content
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Parveen Jain
Introduction: Conceptualizing "Engaged" Jainism and the Field of "Engaged" Jain Studies
Christopher Jain Miller
Part I: Critical Issues in "Engaged Jain Studies"
1. Applied to What? For Whose Benefit?: A Critique of "Applied Jain Ethics"
Steven M. Vose
2. Jain Mantra Healing: Opportunities and Challenges of Engaged/Applied Jain Studies
Tine Vekemans
Part II: Social Engagement in the Diaspora
3. Engaged Curation: Challenges, Experiences, and Potentials from a Museum Exhibition About Jainism
Johannes Beltz
4. Engaged Jain Yoga: Narendra Kumar Jain's The Seven Stages of Enlightenment on the Berlin Wall
Christopher Jain Miller
5. Engaging Spaces: Jain Position and Identity in the Urban Space of Bangkok, Thailand
Yifan Zhang
Part III: Engaging with Business and Economy
6. Engaging Jain Ideas: Interdisciplinary Business Ethics Education
Benjamin Zenk
7. Engaged Jain Business and Professional Culture
Atul K. Shah
Part IV: Engaging to Protect Animals and the Environment
8. Jain Virtue Ethics Engaging with Animal Rights
Cogen Bohanec
9. Ahi?sa, Anekanta, and Animal Rights: Engaging Plurality in Our Planetary Context
Andrew Bridges
10. An American Panjrapole: Engaging Tradition and Innovation at Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary
Jonathan Dickstein
11. A Jain Perspective on Faux Meat: Engaging Jain Philosophy with Contemporary Debates
Joey Tuminello
12. Jain Ecotheology Engaging with Ecopsychology
Cogen Bohanec
Part V: Interfaith Engagement
13. Engaged Virtues: Cultivating Friendliness, Joy, Compassion, and Equanimity in Jain Thought
Alba Rodriguez Juan
14. Engaging Difference: Approaches to Religious Pluralism in Haribhadra's Yogabindu
Christopher Key Chapple
15. Fortuitous Jain Engagements with Nondualities: Jain Yoga in the Yogapradipa and Yogasara
Corinna May Lhoir
16. The Anuvrat Movement: A Case of Socially Engaged Jainism
Shivani Bothra
17. Engaged Anekantavada: The Potential of Jain Philosophy for Grounding Dialogue Across Worldviews (with a Focus on Vijnana Vedanta)
Jeffery D. Long
Contributors
Index
Foreword
Parveen Jain
Introduction: Conceptualizing "Engaged" Jainism and the Field of "Engaged" Jain Studies
Christopher Jain Miller
Part I: Critical Issues in "Engaged Jain Studies"
1. Applied to What? For Whose Benefit?: A Critique of "Applied Jain Ethics"
Steven M. Vose
2. Jain Mantra Healing: Opportunities and Challenges of Engaged/Applied Jain Studies
Tine Vekemans
Part II: Social Engagement in the Diaspora
3. Engaged Curation: Challenges, Experiences, and Potentials from a Museum Exhibition About Jainism
Johannes Beltz
4. Engaged Jain Yoga: Narendra Kumar Jain's The Seven Stages of Enlightenment on the Berlin Wall
Christopher Jain Miller
5. Engaging Spaces: Jain Position and Identity in the Urban Space of Bangkok, Thailand
Yifan Zhang
Part III: Engaging with Business and Economy
6. Engaging Jain Ideas: Interdisciplinary Business Ethics Education
Benjamin Zenk
7. Engaged Jain Business and Professional Culture
Atul K. Shah
Part IV: Engaging to Protect Animals and the Environment
8. Jain Virtue Ethics Engaging with Animal Rights
Cogen Bohanec
9. Ahi?sa, Anekanta, and Animal Rights: Engaging Plurality in Our Planetary Context
Andrew Bridges
10. An American Panjrapole: Engaging Tradition and Innovation at Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary
Jonathan Dickstein
11. A Jain Perspective on Faux Meat: Engaging Jain Philosophy with Contemporary Debates
Joey Tuminello
12. Jain Ecotheology Engaging with Ecopsychology
Cogen Bohanec
Part V: Interfaith Engagement
13. Engaged Virtues: Cultivating Friendliness, Joy, Compassion, and Equanimity in Jain Thought
Alba Rodriguez Juan
14. Engaging Difference: Approaches to Religious Pluralism in Haribhadra's Yogabindu
Christopher Key Chapple
15. Fortuitous Jain Engagements with Nondualities: Jain Yoga in the Yogapradipa and Yogasara
Corinna May Lhoir
16. The Anuvrat Movement: A Case of Socially Engaged Jainism
Shivani Bothra
17. Engaged Anekantavada: The Potential of Jain Philosophy for Grounding Dialogue Across Worldviews (with a Focus on Vijnana Vedanta)
Jeffery D. Long
Contributors
Index