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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

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.

Reviews

"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

"Through an analysis of traditional Jain texts and contemporary voices of practicing Jains, Donaldson and Bajželj provide important insights from within Jainism to bioethical discussions. Additionally, when read by healthcare professionals, this work can contribute to their understanding of the increasingly diverse patient population within their care."––Swasti Bhattacharyya, author of Magical Progeny, Modern Technology: A Hindu Bioethics of Assisted Reproductive Technology

"Insistent Life fills a scholarly gap by presenting a comprehensive review of the ethical and medical views of Jainism and how they apply to contemporary bioethics. Undoubtedly, this treatment will be welcomed by religious scholars and scholars of Jainism in particular. Donaldson and Bajželj also offer an interesting perspective for bioethicists working with and/or within the Buddhist tradition. Delving into the differences between related Jain and Buddhist perspectives offers potentially new insight into each other's perspectives. And for religious bioethicists of other traditions, the book offers another voice to be heard."––David E. Guinn, editor of Handbook of Bioethics and Religion