Description

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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 Bajželj 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.

 

About the Author

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Brianne Donaldson is Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies and Shri Parshvanath Presidential Chair in Jain Studies at University of California, Irvine.

Ana Bajželj is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Shrimad Rajchandra Endowed Chair in Jain Studies at University of California, Riverside.

Praise For…

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"Insistent Life is an exciting and thought-provoking contribution to the field of Jain studies, particularly because it draws on an impressive array of sources to think about how a minority religious tradition many thousands of years old can (and should) participate in modern, complicated debates about human life."
— Reading Religion

"This compelling book brilliantly illustrates how an ancient minority religious tradition like Jainism can be used to deliberate on modern bioethical issues, debates, and discussions, making it an illustrious contribution to bioethics and Jain studies."
— Religious Studies Review

 "This book combines the best methods of the humanities and the social sciences,  demonstrating  the  ongoing  relevance  of  cultural  history,  philosophy, theology,  sociology,  and  medical  ethics  within  today’s  world  of  dynamic multiculturalism."
 
— Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture