Insistent Life - by Brianne Donaldson & Ana Bajzelj Paperback

About the Book

"Insistent Life is the first full-length interdisciplinary treatment of the foundational principles and principles of application for engaging contemporary bioethics within the Jain tradition. The book fills a significant gap in both the fields of bioethics and Jain studies since Jainism, perhaps more so than any other South Asian tradition, is strongly focused on the ethics of birth, life, and death, with regard to humans as well as other living beings. Brianne Donaldson and Ana Bajézelj analyze a diverse range of Jain texts and contemporary sources on Jain doctrines and practices, alongside bioethics, 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--represented in visual graphs--based on an international survey the authors conducted with Jain medical professionals in India and diaspora communities of North America, Europe, and Africa"--

Book Synopsis

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.

From the Back Cover

"Through an analysis of traditional Jain texts and contemporary voices of practicing Jains, Donaldson and Bajzelj 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 Bajzelj 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

Review Quotes

"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"

"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"

"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"

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