Paths to the Divine: An Introduction to World Religions expertly combines original writing and engaging primary source texts to familiarize students with the basic tenets of a variety of world religions. Beyond presenting foundational knowledge on religious traditions, the volume demonstrates how belief systems can shape both an individual's and a society's culture, worldviews, and sense of belonging. The book features distinct emphasis on the religious traditions of Asia, presenting readers with information on beliefs and practices that may be unfamiliar or new to them, expanding their understanding and appreciation of others' traditions. The book begins by introducing students to the basics of religion, including key concepts and features of religion, representations of the divine, and the connection between nature and religion in early traditions. Additional chapters provide students with valuable insight and enlightening readings on Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Chinese religion, Shinto, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Throughout, key terms, contextual introductions, discussion questions, and suggestions for further reading are provided. Written to expand students' knowledge and understanding of global traditions, Paths of the Divine is an ideal text for introductory courses in humanities, theology, and world religions.

Living Jainism explores a system of thought that unites ethics with rational thought, in which each individual is his or her own guru and social conscience extends beyond human society to animals, plants and the whole of the natural world. The Jain Dharma is a humane and scientific spiritual pathway that has universal significance. With the re-emergence of India as a world power, Jain wisdom deserves to be better known so that it can play a creative role in global affairs. Living Jainism reveals the relevance of Jain teachings to scientific research and human society, as well as our journey towards understanding ourselves and our place in the universe.

"There is no doubt that the wealth of new data and ideas offered in this exquisite book provides the deepest insights yet into the contemporary religious world of Jain laity. It will serve for some time as a paradigmatic monograph for future empirical studies of Jain religious life." --Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies
"Jains in the World is a significant and welcome ethnography of contemporary Jains in western India by the most prominent scholar of Jainism in North America. This book is a must for scholars of South Asian religions and will provide scholars of Hindu traditions fine grounding both in a central dialectic of Jain thought and in contemporary Jain praxis." --International Journal of Hindu Studies
"A valuable addition to the literature on Jainism as a living faith. Since it has the additional merits of being clearly written, attractively illustrated, and free of unnecessary theoretical baggage, it should serve as a good introduction to this tradition for college students." --Journal of theAmerican Oriental Society
"A must-read for understanding, by and large, the ritual world of the Jains. He has succeeded in proving that the concept of well-being is as central to the Jains' moral universe as their more entrenched pursuit of the goal of liberation of soul from karmic bondage."--History of Religions
"An essential read for students and scholars of Jainism. . . . it identifies and defines a realm of value in Jainism strongly alluded to by recent scholarship, but which, until now, had not been explicitly stated. For this reason Jains in the World will doubtless prove to be a fundamental turning point in the development of Jaina studies."-- The Journal of Religion
This book presents a detailed fieldwork-based study of the ancient Indian religion of Jainism. Drawing on field research in northern Gujarat and on the study of both ancient Sanskrit and Prakrit and modern vernacular Jain religious literature, John Cort provides a rounded portrait of the religion as it is practiced today.

Jainism evokes images of monks wearing face-masks to protect insects and mico-organisms from being inhaled. Or of Jains sweeping the ground in front of them to ensure that living creatures are not inadvertently crushed: a practice of non-violence so radical as to defy easy comprehension. Yet for all its apparent exoticism, Jainism is still little understood in the West. What is this mysterious philosophy which originated in the 6th century BCE, whose absolute requirement is vegetarianism, and which now commands a following of four million adherents both in its native India and diaspora communities across the globe?In his welcome new treatment of the Jain religion, Long makes an ancient tradition fully intelligible to the modern reader. Plunging back more than two and a half millennia, to the plains of northern India and the life of a prince who - much like the Buddha - gave up a life of luxury to pursue enlightenment, Long traces the history of the Jain community from founding sage Mahavira to the present day. He explores asceticism, worship, the life of the Jain layperson, relations between Jainism and other Indic traditions, the Jain philosophy of relativity, and the implications of Jain ideals for the contemporary world. The book presents Jainism in a way that is authentic and engaging to specialists and non-specialists alike.

Monasticism is a social and religious phenomenon which originated in antiquity and which still remains relevant in the twenty-first century. But what, exactly, is it, and how is it distinguished from other kinds of religious and non-religious practice? In this Very Short Introduction Stephen J. Davis discusses the history of monasticism, from our earliest evidence for it, and the different types which have developed from antiquity to the present day. He considers where monasteries are located, from East Asia to North America, and everywhere in between, and how their settings impact the everyday life and worldview of the monks and nuns who dwell there. Exploring how monastic communities are organized, he also looks at how aspects of life like food, sleep, sex, work, and prayer are regimented. Finally, Davis discusses what the stories about saints communicate about monastic identity and ethics, and considers what place there is for monasticism in the modern world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

This book offers a unique look at one of the oldest religions in the world, and how it can guide us to spiritual and intellectual growth. It bridges the gap between Western religious beliefs and Eastern spiritual philosophies. Jainism is India's oldest spiritual tradition, and one of the oldest religions in the entire world. It rejects the notion of a supreme being, and advocates a deep respect for all living things, and the connections they share. "The Jain Path" looks at how perhaps one of the most individually demanding, rational, and radical of all religions is becoming ever more popular with those trying to re-discover a balance and continuity in their lives. This informative look at how the principals of the Jainism tradition - simple living, non-violence, responsibility, and respect for all things - provides readers with all the tools they need for spiritual and intellectual growth in this ever-more confusing world.

Second U.S. edition of a highly acclaimed, simple introduction to Jainism, an ancient (more than 2600 years old) but currently relevant religion from India. Written in a clear and friendly style, full of explanations, and a gradual, stepwise presentation of its fundamental principles. For personal or classroom study. Equally interesting for non-Jains of either Indian, non-Indian, or Western origin, and for students and scholars of non-violence, vegetarianism, and ecology.

A free open access ebook is available upon publication. Learn more at www.luminosoa.org. Jainism, perhaps more so than any other South Asian tradition, focuses strongly on the ethics of birth, life, and death, with regard to both humans and other living beings. Insistent Life is the first full-length interdisciplinary examination of the foundational principles of bioethics within Jain doctrine and the application of those principles in the contemporary sphere. Brianne Donaldson and Ana Bajzelj analyze a diverse range of Jain texts and contemporary sources to identify Jain perspectives on bioethical issues while highlighting the complexity of their personal, professional, and public dimensions. The book also features extensive original data based on an international survey the authors conducted with Jain medical professionals in India and diaspora communities of North America, Europe, and Africa.

Ten chapters originally workshop presentations (Amherst College, 1993) provide a new perspective on one of the oldest yet least studied of the world's living religions. The editor notes that contributors were asked to provide thick description (in ethnographic parlance) studies of this group in th

The religious tradition of the Jainas, unique in many respects, presents a fascinating array of doctrinal and social structures that stem from the anti-vedic movements of ancient times. Drawing extensively on primary sources, Professor Jaini provides a comprehensive introduction to the Jaina experience. Beginning with the Life of Mahavira the author elucidates the essentials of Jaina cosmology and philosophy as well as of the "path of purification" through which the soul may escape from its Karmic defilements and attain eternal salvation. This path constitutes the integral element within the broader frame-work of Jaina literature, lay ritual and the socio-historical factors, which enabled Jainism to survive and prosper to the present day. In particular, the author has examined the cardinal doctrine of ahimsa (non-harming), both in its impact upon Jaina religious consciousness and as a standard in applying its sacred principles to the conduct of every day life.

In this book the author has tried to put the essence of Jaina religion and philosophy in a clear way, so that any student of religion or philosophy can easily understand the history, cosmology, cosmography and liberation in Jainism. This book is an english translation of world famous German book "Die Lehre der Jainas" of W. Schubring by Wolfganj Beurlen.

What does it mean to worship beings that one believes are completely indifferent to, and entirely beyond the reach of, any form of worship whatsoever? How would such a relationship with sacred beings affect the religious life of a community? Using these questions as his point of departure, Lawrence A. Babb explores the ritual culture of image-worshipping Svetambar Jains of the western Indian states of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Jainism traces its lineages back to the ninth century B.C.E. and is, along with Buddhism, the only surviving example of India's ancient non-Vedic religious traditions. It is known and celebrated for its systematic practice of non-violence and for the intense rigor of the asceticism it promotes. A unique aspect of Babb's study is his linking of the Jain tradition to the social identity of existing Jain communities. Babb concludes by showing that Jain ritual culture can be seen as a variation on pan-Indian ritual patterns. In illuminating this little-known religious tradition, he demonstrates that divine "absence" can be as rich as divine "presence" in its possibilities for informing a religious response to the cosmos.

Investigating Sufi-inspired spirituality in the modern world, this interdisciplinary text combines cultural study with solid data to provide a comprehensive look at how the teachings of Ibn 'Arabi have been adopted and adapted by Muslims and non-Muslims. At the heart of this movement is the Beshara School in Scotland, founded in the 1960s, and now a center of international scholarship. Using the school as a case study, the discussion describes its emergence and evolution, its approach to spiritual education, the origins of its spiritual teacher, its major teachings and practices, and its projection of Ibn 'Arabi. Both rigorous and very timely, this effort points to areas of cultural exchange between East and West and highlights commonalities in the various historical changes both societies have undergone.

This brief introduction to Jainism and Sikhism is designed to help readers understand these important religious traditions. With both nuance and balance, this text provides broad coverage of various forms of Jainism and Sikhism with an arresting layout with rich colors. It offers both historical overviews and modern perspectives on Jain and Sikh beliefs and practices. The user-friendly content is enhanced by charts of religious festivals, historic timelines, updated maps, and a useful glossary. It is ideal for courses on Jainism, Sikhism, and South Asian religions and will be a useful, concise reference for all readers eager to know more about these important religious tradition and their place in our contemporary world.

This beautifully illustrated book accompanies an exquisite exhibition of 70 tantric, Jain and related objects, paintings, manuscripts and drawings.

In as far as the Indian term 'tantrism' is known in the West, it is generally linked with mystery and mysticism as well as with sex, magic and hocus-pocus. Indeed, tantrism is connected with all these and even more. Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Jainism, Vajrayana, Bonpo, Ayurveda and Shamanism are some of the philosophies, religions and sciences that were somehow influenced by tantrism, as Jan van Alphen, chief curator of the BOZAR in Brussels, discusses in the introductory essay to the catalogue.

Accompanies an exhibition at Joost van den Bergh Ltd, London.