- Environmental Humanities, Sustainability Studies, Philosophies and Religions of India, Ecology & Religion, Ecospirituality, Hindu Theology & Ethics, and 39 moreContemplative Studies, Vedanta and Nondualism, Śāktism, UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs), Hinduism & Hermeneutics, Hinduism, Interreligious and Interfaith Studies, Ecotheology (Environment), Religion and the Public Sphere, Buddhism, Jainism, Mysticism, Meditation, Modern Yoga Studies, Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Psychology, Bhakti, Hindu Shakta Tantra, Shakta Bhakti, Swami Vivekananda, Ramakrishna Vivekananda Philosophy, Vivekananda, Sri Ramakrishna, Hermeneutics, Interreligious Studies, Contemplative Pedagogy, Comparative Contemplative Studies, Visual Culture, American Transcendentalists, Ecopoetics, Aesthetics and Ethics, Postcolonial Theory, Modernity/coloniality/decoloniality, Ecofeminism, Ecological Psychology, Ecophilosophy, Theology, Divine Feminine and Feminist Spirituality, and South Asian Goddess Traditionsedit
- R. D. Sherma, PhD, is Director of the Graduate Theological Union's Center for Dharma Studies | Core Doctoral Faculty ... moreR. D. Sherma, PhD, is Director of the Graduate Theological Union's Center for Dharma Studies | Core Doctoral Faculty | Chair, Department of Theology & Ethics | Associate Professor of Dharma Studies | Co-Chair of Sustainability 360edit
This volume is one of the first wide-ranging academic surveys of the major types and categories of Jain praxis. It covers a breadth of scholarly viewpoints that reflect both the variegation in terms of spiritual practices within the Jain... more
This volume is one of the first wide-ranging academic surveys of the major types and categories of Jain praxis. It covers a breadth of scholarly viewpoints that reflect both the variegation in terms of spiritual practices within the Jain traditions as well as the Jain hermeneutical perspectives, which are employed in understanding its rich diversity.
The volume illustrates a complex and nuanced understanding of the multifaceted category of Jain religious thought and practice. It offers a rare intrareligious dialogue within Jain traditions and at the same time, significantly broadens and enriches the field of Contemplative Studies to include an ancient, ascetic, non-theistic tradition. Meditation, yoga, ritual, prayer are common to all Indic spiritual traditions. By investigating these diverse, yet overlapping, categories one might obtain a sophisticated understanding of religious traditions that originally emerged in South Asia. Essays in this book demonstrate how these forms of praxis in Jainism, and the philosophies that anchor those practices, are interrelated, and when brought into dialogue, help to foster new tools for understanding a complex and variegated tradition such as Jain Dharma.
This book will be useful to scholars and researchers of religious and theological studies, contemplative studies, Jain studies, Hindu studies, consciousness studies, Yoga studies, Indian philosophy and religion, sociology of religion, philosophy of religion, comparative religion, and South Asian studies, as well as general readers interested in the topic.
The volume illustrates a complex and nuanced understanding of the multifaceted category of Jain religious thought and practice. It offers a rare intrareligious dialogue within Jain traditions and at the same time, significantly broadens and enriches the field of Contemplative Studies to include an ancient, ascetic, non-theistic tradition. Meditation, yoga, ritual, prayer are common to all Indic spiritual traditions. By investigating these diverse, yet overlapping, categories one might obtain a sophisticated understanding of religious traditions that originally emerged in South Asia. Essays in this book demonstrate how these forms of praxis in Jainism, and the philosophies that anchor those practices, are interrelated, and when brought into dialogue, help to foster new tools for understanding a complex and variegated tradition such as Jain Dharma.
This book will be useful to scholars and researchers of religious and theological studies, contemplative studies, Jain studies, Hindu studies, consciousness studies, Yoga studies, Indian philosophy and religion, sociology of religion, philosophy of religion, comparative religion, and South Asian studies, as well as general readers interested in the topic.
Research Interests:
©SPRINGER PUBLISHING | RITA D. SHERMA | OVERVIEW The devastation of the ecosphere is inextricably linked to unsustainable economic, societal, racial, geopolitical, and cultural relationships. To enable the restoration and flourishing of... more
©SPRINGER PUBLISHING | RITA D. SHERMA | OVERVIEW
The devastation of the ecosphere is inextricably linked to unsustainable economic, societal, racial, geopolitical, and cultural relationships. To enable the restoration and flourishing of the ecosystems of the biosphere, human societies need to be reimagined and reordered in terms of economic, cultural, religious, racial, and social equitability. The epistemic paradigms that have led to climate change and the ravaging of the earth, are not likely to lead the healing of the same. As such, ways of knowing that are embedded in religion, culture, and tradition are essential resources for the human transformation necessary for environmental regeneration and renewal. Sustainable Nature Requires Sustainable Societies.
The discourse on Sustainability has gained traction globally and in an intersectoral manner. However, the transdisciplinary field of Sustainability Studies has not embraced the principles, practices, ethics, and insights of the religious worlds of humanity. Sustainability Studies has, as its three pillars, equity and justice in Social, Economic, and Environmental spheres. The conversion of current human behaviors and actions into the transformative paradigms, that will alter the currently destructive trajectory, need internal reorientations of heart and mind that are the ultimate concern of religions. This volume brings the discipline of Sustainability Studies into creative and constructive conversation with the multidisciplinary context of Theology & Religious Studies.
The devastation of the ecosphere is inextricably linked to unsustainable economic, societal, racial, geopolitical, and cultural relationships. To enable the restoration and flourishing of the ecosystems of the biosphere, human societies need to be reimagined and reordered in terms of economic, cultural, religious, racial, and social equitability. The epistemic paradigms that have led to climate change and the ravaging of the earth, are not likely to lead the healing of the same. As such, ways of knowing that are embedded in religion, culture, and tradition are essential resources for the human transformation necessary for environmental regeneration and renewal. Sustainable Nature Requires Sustainable Societies.
The discourse on Sustainability has gained traction globally and in an intersectoral manner. However, the transdisciplinary field of Sustainability Studies has not embraced the principles, practices, ethics, and insights of the religious worlds of humanity. Sustainability Studies has, as its three pillars, equity and justice in Social, Economic, and Environmental spheres. The conversion of current human behaviors and actions into the transformative paradigms, that will alter the currently destructive trajectory, need internal reorientations of heart and mind that are the ultimate concern of religions. This volume brings the discipline of Sustainability Studies into creative and constructive conversation with the multidisciplinary context of Theology & Religious Studies.
Research Interests: Ecological Economics, Religion and Ecology, Social Justice, Ecology, Ecological Theology, and 15 moreEnvironmental Justice, Religion and Economics, Critical sustainability studies, Ecotheology, Interreligious Studies, Interreligious Relations, Sustainability Studies, A) Critical Theory In Discourse, Feminist and Sustainability Studies B) Epistemology (Social Science Epistemologies; Asian and Indigenous Knowledge) C) Ethics (Development Ethics and Research Ethics), Auroville, Buddhism and Economics, UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs), Spirituality & Sustainability, Sustainability Global Responses, Women and Sustainability, and Worldviews and Ecology
© RITA D. SHERMA | Copyright: Routledge Contemplative Studies is a growing field of research that includes practices for spiritual development from many religious worlds. This volume is the first to locate Contemplative Studies within the... more
© RITA D. SHERMA | Copyright: Routledge
Contemplative Studies is a growing field of research that includes practices for spiritual development from many religious worlds. This volume is the first to locate Contemplative Studies within the context of Hindu religious life. Hinduism is often described as giving primacy to practice over doctrine. The extensive range of practices found in the Hindu world are, arguably, the most diverse found amongst extant religious paradigms. Not all of this large palette of action can be considered to be “contemplative.” Indeed, certain practitioners are attempting to enact something that veers towards a different direction from the contemplative life per se. This volume, however, is focused on praxes that fall within the parameters of Contemplative Studies. It marks the first wide-ranging academic survey of the major types and categories of Hindu contemplative praxis from a breadth of scholarly viewpoints that reflect both (a) the variegation in terms of spiritual practices within the Hindu traditions and (b) hermeneutical perspectives that can be employed in understanding this rich diversity.
Contemplative Studies is a growing field of research that includes practices for spiritual development from many religious worlds. This volume is the first to locate Contemplative Studies within the context of Hindu religious life. Hinduism is often described as giving primacy to practice over doctrine. The extensive range of practices found in the Hindu world are, arguably, the most diverse found amongst extant religious paradigms. Not all of this large palette of action can be considered to be “contemplative.” Indeed, certain practitioners are attempting to enact something that veers towards a different direction from the contemplative life per se. This volume, however, is focused on praxes that fall within the parameters of Contemplative Studies. It marks the first wide-ranging academic survey of the major types and categories of Hindu contemplative praxis from a breadth of scholarly viewpoints that reflect both (a) the variegation in terms of spiritual practices within the Hindu traditions and (b) hermeneutical perspectives that can be employed in understanding this rich diversity.
Research Interests: Hinduism, Yoga Meditation, Contemplative Studies, Ritual Theory, Religious Experience, and 14 moreTantra, Samkhya and Yoga, Vedanta, Ritual Studies, Meditation, Shaktism, Contemplative Prayer, Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Tantra Philosophy, Bhakti Traditions, Mantras and Sadana, Anthropology of Religion, Ramanandi sampradaya, and Hindu Theology
DESCRIPTION With historical-critical analysis and dialogical even-handedness, the essays of this book re-assess the life and legacy of Swami Vivekananda, forged at a time of colonial suppression, from the vantage point of socially-engaged... more
DESCRIPTION
With historical-critical analysis and dialogical even-handedness, the essays of this book re-assess the life and legacy of Swami Vivekananda, forged at a time of colonial suppression, from the vantage point of socially-engaged religion at a time of global dislocations and international inequities. Due to the complexity of Vivekananda as a historical figure on the cusp of late modernity with its vast transformations, few works offer a contemporary, multi-vocal, nuanced, academic examination of his liberative vision and legacy in the way that this volume does. It brings together North American, European, British, and Indian scholars associated with a broad array of humanistic disciplines towards critical-constructive, contextually-sensitive reflections on one of the most important thinkers and theologians of the modern era.
PRAISE FOR:
Swami Vivekananda: His Life, Legacy, and Liberative Ethics
—Ramdas Lamb, University of Hawai'i
“Because Swami Vivekananda was such a well-known and respected teacher in India, he is present in nearly every English language textbook on world religions. Although his name has become familiar to many in the west, relatively little about him and his tremendous legacy is actually known. Swami Vivekananda: His Life, Legacy, and Liberative Ethics, edited by Rita D. Sherma, is an important vehicle to aid in fulfilling this lacuna. To do so, Professor Sherma has assembled a collection of respected scholars from various disciplines and backgrounds, and each one brings to light significant aspects of Swami Vivekananda’s life, work, and teachings from their own varied and unique perspectives. In their diverse understandings of him, the various authors provide valuable insights and in the process challenge some of the misunderstandings and assumptions about Vivekananda and the broader Hindu tradition. Every reader will likely come away with a heightened awareness about and respect for Swami Vivekananda and the legacy of wisdom he
left for us to learn from and follow.”
With historical-critical analysis and dialogical even-handedness, the essays of this book re-assess the life and legacy of Swami Vivekananda, forged at a time of colonial suppression, from the vantage point of socially-engaged religion at a time of global dislocations and international inequities. Due to the complexity of Vivekananda as a historical figure on the cusp of late modernity with its vast transformations, few works offer a contemporary, multi-vocal, nuanced, academic examination of his liberative vision and legacy in the way that this volume does. It brings together North American, European, British, and Indian scholars associated with a broad array of humanistic disciplines towards critical-constructive, contextually-sensitive reflections on one of the most important thinkers and theologians of the modern era.
PRAISE FOR:
Swami Vivekananda: His Life, Legacy, and Liberative Ethics
—Ramdas Lamb, University of Hawai'i
“Because Swami Vivekananda was such a well-known and respected teacher in India, he is present in nearly every English language textbook on world religions. Although his name has become familiar to many in the west, relatively little about him and his tremendous legacy is actually known. Swami Vivekananda: His Life, Legacy, and Liberative Ethics, edited by Rita D. Sherma, is an important vehicle to aid in fulfilling this lacuna. To do so, Professor Sherma has assembled a collection of respected scholars from various disciplines and backgrounds, and each one brings to light significant aspects of Swami Vivekananda’s life, work, and teachings from their own varied and unique perspectives. In their diverse understandings of him, the various authors provide valuable insights and in the process challenge some of the misunderstandings and assumptions about Vivekananda and the broader Hindu tradition. Every reader will likely come away with a heightened awareness about and respect for Swami Vivekananda and the legacy of wisdom he
left for us to learn from and follow.”
Research Interests: Hinduism, Advaita Vedanta, Vedanta, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, and 15 moreBengal Renaissance, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Vivekananda Concept of Religion, Advaita Vedānta, Non-dualism Advaita, Philosophy of Swami Vivekananda, Interreligious Studies, History of yoga, Vivekananda, Ramakrishna Vivekananda Philosophy, Karma Yoga, Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Studies, Adi Shankaracharya, Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Vedanta Movement, and Hindu Seva
©RITA. D. SHERMA The emergence of Hinduism as a field of study in the Western academia coincides with the development of modern hermeneutics. Despite this co-emergence, and the rich possibilities inherent in a dialectical encounter... more
©RITA. D. SHERMA
The emergence of Hinduism as a field of study in the Western academia coincides with the development of modern hermeneutics. Despite this co-emergence, and the rich possibilities inherent in a dialectical encounter between the theories of modern and pre-modern hermeneutics and those of Hindu hermeneutical traditions, this potential has not been tapped within the boundaries of religious studies. This volume sets out to initiate such an interface.
REVIEW:
Some essays in this volume, such as those by Shrinivas Tilak, Sharada Sugirtharajah, and Purushottama Bilimoria examine the impact of Western hermeneutics on the Indian religious landscape. Others, just as those by Jeffrey Long, Klaus Klostermaier, Aditya Adarkar and Leena Taneja, offer insights into traditional Hindu philosophical principles and into concepts pertaining to cross-cultural hermeneutical frameworks. Still others, such as those by Stephen Phillips and T.S. Rukmani, are concerned with the application of a philosophical approach to hermeneutical engagement with Hindu texts, in order to arrive at a more comprehensive interpretation. An introduction by Rita Sherma and a conclusion by Arvind Sharma book-end the volume.
DOWNLOAD E-BOOK: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4020-8192-7
The emergence of Hinduism as a field of study in the Western academia coincides with the development of modern hermeneutics. Despite this co-emergence, and the rich possibilities inherent in a dialectical encounter between the theories of modern and pre-modern hermeneutics and those of Hindu hermeneutical traditions, this potential has not been tapped within the boundaries of religious studies. This volume sets out to initiate such an interface.
REVIEW:
Some essays in this volume, such as those by Shrinivas Tilak, Sharada Sugirtharajah, and Purushottama Bilimoria examine the impact of Western hermeneutics on the Indian religious landscape. Others, just as those by Jeffrey Long, Klaus Klostermaier, Aditya Adarkar and Leena Taneja, offer insights into traditional Hindu philosophical principles and into concepts pertaining to cross-cultural hermeneutical frameworks. Still others, such as those by Stephen Phillips and T.S. Rukmani, are concerned with the application of a philosophical approach to hermeneutical engagement with Hindu texts, in order to arrive at a more comprehensive interpretation. An introduction by Rita Sherma and a conclusion by Arvind Sharma book-end the volume.
DOWNLOAD E-BOOK: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4020-8192-7
Research Interests:
This volume offers an overview of Hinduism as found in India and the diaspora. Exploring Hinduism in India in dynamic interaction, rather than in isolation, the volume discusses the relationship of Hinduism with other religions of Indian... more
This volume offers an overview of Hinduism as found in India and the diaspora. Exploring Hinduism in India in dynamic interaction, rather than in isolation, the volume discusses the relationship of Hinduism with other religions of Indian origin and with religions which did not originate in India but have been a major feature of its religious landscape. These latter religions include Islam and Christianity and, to a lesser extent, Zoroastrianism and Judaism. The volume also covers Hinduism’s close association with Tribal Religions, sometimes called Primal Religions. As its second main theme, the volume examines the phenomenon of Hinduism in the diaspora. The Indian diaspora is now beginning to make its presence felt, both in India and abroad. In India, the Indian government annually hosts a diaspora event called Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), in recognition of the growing importance of the twenty-million-strong diaspora. Although not all Indians are Hindus, most are, both in India and abroad, and a strong sense of Hindu identity is emerging among diasporic Hindus.
This volume fills the need felt by Hindus both in India and the diaspora for more knowledge about modern-day Hinduism, Hindu history and traditions. It takes into account three main aspects of Hinduism: that the active pan-Indian and diasporic language of the Hindus is English; that modern Hindus need a rational rather than a devotional or traditional exposition of the religion; and that they need information about and arguments to address the stereotypes which characterize the presentation of Hinduism in academia and the media, especially in the West.
---Jeffery D. Long
This volume fills the need felt by Hindus both in India and the diaspora for more knowledge about modern-day Hinduism, Hindu history and traditions. It takes into account three main aspects of Hinduism: that the active pan-Indian and diasporic language of the Hindus is English; that modern Hindus need a rational rather than a devotional or traditional exposition of the religion; and that they need information about and arguments to address the stereotypes which characterize the presentation of Hinduism in academia and the media, especially in the West.
---Jeffery D. Long
Research Interests:
In recent years, the growing interest in the relationship between religion and “the Feminine,” whether human or divine, has given rise to diverse academic volumes exploring this connection in different traditions. The academic examination... more
In recent years, the growing interest in the relationship between religion and “the Feminine,” whether human or divine, has given rise to diverse academic volumes exploring this connection in different traditions. The academic examination of the Feminine in Hindu traditions has been, for the most part, rooted in efforts to describe and interpret, using various scholarly methods, including ethnographic, historical, or literary research on Hindu women and Hindu goddess traditions. Important as these areas of study are, they are necessarily circumscribed by the methods of inquiry they employ and hence are, generally speaking, not concerned with exploring the relevance of Hindu understandings of the Feminine to theological concerns or contemporary forms of gender activism. The traditional academic parameters of textuality and anthropology are, of course, necessitated by the demands of credible scholarship. They can, however, be complemented by thealogical reflection, and constructive engagement. Such an approach could provide a more nuanced exploration of the significance of Hindu understandings of the feminine in terms of the following:
• Conceptual resources for thealogical reflection and reinterpretation.
• Alternative insights on the multiple possible modes of envisioning female empowerment and the divine feminine in feminist theory discourse.
• The relevance of Hindu models of the feminine to crosscultural philosophical, theological, ontological, or sociological interchange.
• Conceptual resources for thealogical reflection and reinterpretation.
• Alternative insights on the multiple possible modes of envisioning female empowerment and the divine feminine in feminist theory discourse.
• The relevance of Hindu models of the feminine to crosscultural philosophical, theological, ontological, or sociological interchange.
Research Interests:
Rita D. Sherma © Georgetown University Press © “New Directions in Interreligious, Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies in Comparative Theology: Methodological and Hermeneutical Considerations.” This chapter offers a methodological... more
Rita D. Sherma © Georgetown University Press ©
“New Directions in Interreligious, Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies in Comparative Theology: Methodological and Hermeneutical Considerations.” This chapter offers a methodological framework for Interreligious Theological Reflection (ITR), a new direction in Comparative Theology (CT), which seeks to further mutual understanding between religions. The approach presented in this chapter suggests an extended movement in the direction of collaborative work towards ecosocial sustainability. The chapter suggests that this is assisted by theological effort towards understanding the depth-dimension of the religious culture of other traditions encountered. For such an endeavor, the chapter recommends several mutually supportive approaches including (but not limited to) (i) contextual and immersive engagement with the lived experience of sacred texts; (ii) the visual, material, and dynamic culture of praxis, and (iii) epistemological justice. This work applies methods that reference and move beyond Postcolonial Studies and employs a conceptual framework that I have developed earlier termed the Hermeneutics of Intersubjectivity. These approaches, together, create a guiding structure for ITR which can then be expanded upon in specific ways according to the frames of reference of the particular religions being studied and engaged.
“New Directions in Interreligious, Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies in Comparative Theology: Methodological and Hermeneutical Considerations.” This chapter offers a methodological framework for Interreligious Theological Reflection (ITR), a new direction in Comparative Theology (CT), which seeks to further mutual understanding between religions. The approach presented in this chapter suggests an extended movement in the direction of collaborative work towards ecosocial sustainability. The chapter suggests that this is assisted by theological effort towards understanding the depth-dimension of the religious culture of other traditions encountered. For such an endeavor, the chapter recommends several mutually supportive approaches including (but not limited to) (i) contextual and immersive engagement with the lived experience of sacred texts; (ii) the visual, material, and dynamic culture of praxis, and (iii) epistemological justice. This work applies methods that reference and move beyond Postcolonial Studies and employs a conceptual framework that I have developed earlier termed the Hermeneutics of Intersubjectivity. These approaches, together, create a guiding structure for ITR which can then be expanded upon in specific ways according to the frames of reference of the particular religions being studied and engaged.
Research Interests:
Rita D Sherma, PhD, GTU, Berkeley, USA The task of creating a sense of belonging among newer communities of color involves the fostering of a spirituality of terrain. Cultivating belonging through ecopraxis involves creating a sense of... more
Rita D Sherma, PhD, GTU, Berkeley, USA
The task of creating a sense of belonging among newer communities of color involves the fostering of a spirituality of terrain. Cultivating belonging through ecopraxis involves creating a sense of communion, not only with the land, but with those who have experienced it before us, particularly Native peoples and Black Americans. The dominant culture of environmentalism does not always recognize their place in the human ecology of the land. Leading change through ecopraxis is a matter of remembering the gifts of ecospirituality brought by minority religions and cultures; it is to weave a new American tapestry. And, it is to ask the question: “If we acted from the truth of interrelationality, what would our shared vision look like?” This article presents the argument that human civilization’s malrelationship with the other-than-human world echoes through people’s broken relations with each other. It suggests the need to lead change through an integrative ecospirituality of terrain that weaves a new ecovision with forgotten and unacknowledged strands of the American experience.
The task of creating a sense of belonging among newer communities of color involves the fostering of a spirituality of terrain. Cultivating belonging through ecopraxis involves creating a sense of communion, not only with the land, but with those who have experienced it before us, particularly Native peoples and Black Americans. The dominant culture of environmentalism does not always recognize their place in the human ecology of the land. Leading change through ecopraxis is a matter of remembering the gifts of ecospirituality brought by minority religions and cultures; it is to weave a new American tapestry. And, it is to ask the question: “If we acted from the truth of interrelationality, what would our shared vision look like?” This article presents the argument that human civilization’s malrelationship with the other-than-human world echoes through people’s broken relations with each other. It suggests the need to lead change through an integrative ecospirituality of terrain that weaves a new ecovision with forgotten and unacknowledged strands of the American experience.
Research Interests: Religious Pluralism, Environmental Justice, Environmental Humanities, Ecotheology (Environment), Ecological restoration, and 10 moreEcological Feminism, Interreligious Studies, Ecowomanism, Ecological Awareness and Practice, Human Rights and Social Justice, American Environmental History, Hinduism and Ecology, Ecology and Ritual, American Conservation Hisotry, and Integrative Ecospirituality
Religion and Theological thought are increasingly associated with anti-scientific, anti-emancipatory, unjust attitudes and actions. Yet such blanket condemnations fail to understand that the virulent edge of radicalized religion is not... more
Religion and Theological thought are increasingly associated with anti-scientific, anti-emancipatory, unjust attitudes and actions. Yet such blanket condemnations fail to understand that the virulent edge of radicalized religion is not its full spectrum. The fostering of values of care and compassion, of altruism for kin and community, careful conservation of wild and cultivated spaces are normative aims in many religious traditions. These aims continue to move individuals to transcend narrow self-interest and to see themselves as beings in a relational world. Whether such embedded resources translate into ecologically-conscious action is dependent on theo-ethical interpretation. Across traditions, we see the ever widening development of ecological theology and theo-ethics of the Earth. These new visions re-enchant and re-story that cosmos and the human place in the planetary order.
New paradigms for ethical and existential aims that can inspire the will and enhance the imagination must emerge. Without transformed vision that compels consistent alterations in human values and behaviors, new information on the threats posed by Climate Change, or evidence of the dangerous biogeophysical disruptions caused by wholesale unrestricted resource extraction will remain unacknowledged. Planetary survival is now predicated upon the alignment of our notions of both human & ecological rights with our highest principles. As such, ways of knowing that are embedded in religion, philosophy, theo-ethics, spiritual ethics, moral traditions, and a culture that values the commons as an essential resource for the transformation necessary for environmental regeneration and renewal. Sustainable Nature Requires Sustainable Societies.
New paradigms for ethical and existential aims that can inspire the will and enhance the imagination must emerge. Without transformed vision that compels consistent alterations in human values and behaviors, new information on the threats posed by Climate Change, or evidence of the dangerous biogeophysical disruptions caused by wholesale unrestricted resource extraction will remain unacknowledged. Planetary survival is now predicated upon the alignment of our notions of both human & ecological rights with our highest principles. As such, ways of knowing that are embedded in religion, philosophy, theo-ethics, spiritual ethics, moral traditions, and a culture that values the commons as an essential resource for the transformation necessary for environmental regeneration and renewal. Sustainable Nature Requires Sustainable Societies.
Research Interests: Ethics & Social Sustainability, Social Justice, Resilience (Sustainability), Religion and Social Change, Religion and Economics, and 15 moreIslam and Ecology, Environmental Economics, Ecological Economics, Green Economy, Music and ritual, Intangible Cultural Heritate and sustainability, Gender, Sustainability and Environment, Theology and Ecology, Ecolology and Religion, Ecological Worldviews, Comparative Philosophy, Comparative Theology, Sustainability, Religion and Sustainability, Culture/religion and Sustainability, Hinduism and Ecology, Buddhism and Ecology, UN SDGs, and UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)
Research Interests:
Berkeley, CA – The Center for the Arts & Religion at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) celebrates the publication of "Gestures to the Divine: Reflections on Eco-Spirituality," a book that brings together the nature-focused artwork of... more
Berkeley, CA – The Center for the Arts & Religion at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) celebrates the publication of "Gestures to the Divine: Reflections on Eco-Spirituality," a book that brings together the nature-focused artwork of Hagit Cohen and reflections on eco-spirituality by scholars. The publication is an accompaniment to the exhibition of Cohen’s work at the Doug Adams Gallery in Berkeley through December 13, 2018. Hagit Cohen’s minimalist prints of plant seeds and pods inspire awe and contemplation. As she explains, “nothing is too small to be the object of wonder or to hold powerful significance in the cycle of life.” Cohen’s work links nature and spirituality, a connection that resonates with many. Seven of scholars with a research interest in ecology and spirituality present essays in this volume, reflecting on eco-spirituality from theological, spiritual, and historical perspectives.
Research Interests:
Copyright 2020 © Rita D. Sherma & Routledge Publishing If we focus on prayer and worship in Dharma traditions (the three major religious traditions that emerged in ancient India) in an inter-dharma dialogue, as this chapter does, we see... more
Copyright 2020 © Rita D. Sherma & Routledge Publishing
If we focus on prayer and worship in Dharma traditions (the three major religious traditions that emerged in ancient India) in an inter-dharma dialogue, as this chapter does, we see that the forms of these practices originated in the context of ancient and classical interrelated indigenous Indic systems of thought and spiritual praxis that informed Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist contemplative life. At the same time, while forms may be similar, the goals and rationales for such praxes vary greatly among the three religions due to different ontologies and distinct teleologies .Dharma traditions offer complex, rich tapestries of unique and multivalent modalities of contemplative practice through diverse forms of interiority evinced through prayer and worship. Prayer and worship in systems that originated in the Indic civilization also hold a particular interest from a philosophical and psychological point of view because Dharma traditions include paths that unequivocally deny the existence of an omnipotent personal Creator God to take heed of petitions and requests. Thus, when certain schools of monistic or non-dualistic Hindus, Jains, and Theravada Buddhists engage in prayer or worship, many questions come to mind. This chapter seeks to reflect on these and a variety of other complex issues.
If we focus on prayer and worship in Dharma traditions (the three major religious traditions that emerged in ancient India) in an inter-dharma dialogue, as this chapter does, we see that the forms of these practices originated in the context of ancient and classical interrelated indigenous Indic systems of thought and spiritual praxis that informed Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist contemplative life. At the same time, while forms may be similar, the goals and rationales for such praxes vary greatly among the three religions due to different ontologies and distinct teleologies .Dharma traditions offer complex, rich tapestries of unique and multivalent modalities of contemplative practice through diverse forms of interiority evinced through prayer and worship. Prayer and worship in systems that originated in the Indic civilization also hold a particular interest from a philosophical and psychological point of view because Dharma traditions include paths that unequivocally deny the existence of an omnipotent personal Creator God to take heed of petitions and requests. Thus, when certain schools of monistic or non-dualistic Hindus, Jains, and Theravada Buddhists engage in prayer or worship, many questions come to mind. This chapter seeks to reflect on these and a variety of other complex issues.
Rita D. Sherma (Routledge London, Copyright): This volume marks the first wide-ranging and multi-vocal academic survey of the major types and categories of Hindu contemplative praxis from a breadth of scholarly viewpoints that reflect... more
Rita D. Sherma (Routledge London, Copyright): This volume marks the first wide-ranging and multi-vocal academic survey of the major types and categories of Hindu contemplative praxis from a breadth of scholarly viewpoints that reflect both (a) the variegation in types of contemplative practices within the Hindu traditions and (b) the use of Hindu internal hermeneutical perspectives for expanding the concept of contemplation beyond definitions that-though incrementally enriched by content from Buddhism-are still normatively constrained by Christian understandings of the concept. Part of the reason that the field remains fairly unrepresentative of the breadth of religious lives across cultures lies in the dearth of academic works, from scholars of diverse religions, on the subject of contemplative studies. Contemplative Studies, as a discipline, 1 can be approached via several avenues: (a) a rigorous focus on religious practices of contemplation, their history, and function within the context of one or more spiritual traditions; (b) the secular and interdisciplinary field of the study and pedagogical application of contem-plative practice and experience which may include methods extracted from religions or developed in engagement with other areas of inquiry; (c) neuroscientific approaches that analyze the effects of contemplation, and (d) its study and therapeutic applications in the health sciences. Finally, there are programs, which call for a transdisciplinary research methodology, 2
Research Interests: Hinduism, Comparative Religion, Yoga Meditation, Contemplative Pedagogy, Prayer, and 12 moreContemplative Studies, Hindu Philosophy, Meditation, Studies on worship, Worship, Contemplative Prayer, Bhakti, Interreligious Studies, Religion and Ritual Studies, Hindu Ritual Studies, Comparative Mythology, Religion and Ritual, and Comparative Contemplative Studies
Abstract: This article, titled Relationality and Reverence: Hindu Ecological Visions, for the Special Issue on “Hinduism, Jainism, Yoga and Ecology”, edited by Christopher K. Chapple, focuses on the relationship of early Hindu texts... more
Abstract:
This article, titled Relationality and Reverence: Hindu Ecological Visions, for the Special Issue on “Hinduism, Jainism, Yoga and Ecology”, edited by Christopher K. Chapple, focuses on the relationship of early Hindu texts (Samhitas and Upanishads) to the natural world. In relation to
this effort, it is first necessary to recognize the value that ecotheologians confer on the recovery of epistemologies of respect for the earth’s ecosystems for recontextualizing theoethics and theopraxis
for a viable future. The fabric of Hindu thought, from its inception, has contained strands which have been informed by a deep reverence for, and profound intimacy with, the natural world. Much of this perception and practice has become attenuated in the modern era. This paper will seek to draw attention to some key principles and perspectives within early Hindu textual traditions that can and should be ecotheologically re-evisioned for ecosystemic and societal sustainability within
the “global” Hindu ethos.
This article, titled Relationality and Reverence: Hindu Ecological Visions, for the Special Issue on “Hinduism, Jainism, Yoga and Ecology”, edited by Christopher K. Chapple, focuses on the relationship of early Hindu texts (Samhitas and Upanishads) to the natural world. In relation to
this effort, it is first necessary to recognize the value that ecotheologians confer on the recovery of epistemologies of respect for the earth’s ecosystems for recontextualizing theoethics and theopraxis
for a viable future. The fabric of Hindu thought, from its inception, has contained strands which have been informed by a deep reverence for, and profound intimacy with, the natural world. Much of this perception and practice has become attenuated in the modern era. This paper will seek to draw attention to some key principles and perspectives within early Hindu textual traditions that can and should be ecotheologically re-evisioned for ecosystemic and societal sustainability within
the “global” Hindu ethos.
Research Interests: Hinduism, Conservation Ecology, Ecology, Ecological Theology, Ecotheology (Environment), and 15 moreIndigenous ethics and ecology, Vedas, Ecolology and Religion, Ecospirituality, Ecotheological Ethics, Hinduism and Ecology, Hindu sacred texts, Hindu Ecology, Purusha Suktam, Ecology and Vedas, Religion and Trees, Ecopraxis, Religion, Ecology, & Ritual, Ecology and Ritual, and Devi Suktam
This volume arises from deliberations at the first International Academic Conference in the United States to explore the life and legacy of the Hindu visionary, liberative theologian, and great modern exponent of Ādvaita Vedanta, Swami... more
This volume arises from deliberations at the first International Academic Conference in the United States to explore the life and legacy of the Hindu visionary, liberative theologian, and great modern exponent of Ādvaita Vedanta, Swami Vivekananda. The conference took place in Los Angeles on October 18th-19th, 2013, marking the 150 th centenary of the birth of Swami Vivekananda, an advocate of interreligious dialogue and foremost disciple of the modern era's most influential Hindu mystic, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa. The conference was sponsored by the School of Religion of the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles. Over 150 years since his birth and some 120 years after his momentous plenary address at the World Parliament of Religion in Chicago (1893), numerous aspects of Swami Vivekananda's life and work have begun to attract renewed attention. Vivekananda's philosophical, religious and social ideas, especially the manner in which they were extended, applied, or appropriated in recent times have been widely discussed, critiqued, and presented. His legacy, however, is being re-appraised within these pages in terms of its continuity as well as its discontinuity from tradition, and from postcolonial, feminist, hermeneutical, and ethical perspectives. This volume offers a multi-layered exploration of the contributions of Swami Vivekananda to a range of discursive and practical engagements that cut evenly across the Hindu traditions of philosophy, theology, ethics, and social justice. There are historical questions as well as exegetical or scholastic questions about the connection Swami Vivekananda claimed or is perceived to have had with the deeper recesses of
Research Interests: Interreligious Dialogue, Sri Aurobindo, Bengal Renaissance, Asian American History, Upanishads, and 13 moreSwami Vivekananda, Swami Vivekananda Concept of Religion, World Parliament of Religions 1893, Advaita Vedānta, Non-dualism Advaita, Philosophy of Swami Vivekananda, Interreligious Studies, Ramakrishna Vivekananda Philosophy, Hindu philosophy and theology, Women and Hinduism, Adi Shankaracharya, Hinduism & Hermeneutics, and Hindu Seva
“The colonial-era Bengal of Sri Ramakrishna’s childhood was deeply influenced by the theology and praxis of Śaktism, Vaiṣṇava bhakti , and Caitanya Gauḍiya Vaiṣṇavism. These various influences informed the early religious life of Sri... more
“The colonial-era Bengal of Sri Ramakrishna’s childhood was deeply influenced by the theology and praxis of Śaktism, Vaiṣṇava bhakti , and Caitanya Gauḍiya Vaiṣṇavism. These various influences informed the early religious life of Sri Ramakrishna. Ultimately, however, the bedrock of Ramakrishna’s life and faith turned out to be Śakta bhakti, a theological blend that included the ontology of Śakta Tantra, and certain principles of Ādvaita Vedānta, practiced in the mood of loving surrender to a vision of Supreme Reality properly understood and experienced as the Divine Mother of the Cosmos, deeply immanent and pervasive. The nature of the Divine that such an experience engendered was integrative of care and compassion, of love and liberation—amply exemplified by Sri Ramakrishna’s attitude towards both humans and other sentient beings. Such a perspective, in its final consummation, became the guiding principle for the Ramakrishna Order and its pioneering model of service as socially-engaged spiritual practice.”
--Rita D. Sherma
--Rita D. Sherma
Research Interests: Mysticism, Spirituality & Mysticism, Contemplative Studies, Spirituality & Psychology, Bengal Renaissance, and 15 moreReligion & Culture of Bengal, Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Bhakti, Theology/Interreligious Dialogue, Śāktism, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Krishna Bhakti Traditions, Yoga Psychology, Raganuga Bhakti, Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Studies, Srī Rāmakrishna (1836-1886), Goddess Kali, Kali Bhakti, Hindu Theology, and Śākta Tantra
RITA D. SHERMA: The Hindu religion, in continuity with a nearly 4,000-year old living tradition of thought and practice offers, arguably, the only extant, widely-accepted systematic theological tradition of God the Mother as the Supreme... more
RITA D. SHERMA:
The Hindu religion, in continuity with a nearly 4,000-year old living tradition of thought and practice offers, arguably, the only extant, widely-accepted systematic theological tradition of God the Mother as the Supreme Divine.
The Hindu religion, in continuity with a nearly 4,000-year old living tradition of thought and practice offers, arguably, the only extant, widely-accepted systematic theological tradition of God the Mother as the Supreme Divine.
Research Interests: Hinduism, Women's Studies, Goddess Spirituality, Sacred Texts, The Divine Feminine, and 12 moreSouth Asian Goddess Traditions, Shaktism, Hindu Studies, Durga, Hindu Goddess, the sacred text of Hinduism; Upanişad (Isa and Kana Up), Bhagavad Gita, Puranas (Bhagavad and Vishnu), Transcendence/immanence, Goddess Cultures In India, Purāṇas, Divine Feminine, Hindu philosophy and theology, Devi Mahatmya, and Hindu Theology & Ethics
Highlights the interpretive dimension of religion (Hinduism) and the religious dimension of interpretation (Western hermeneutics) Seeks transcultural value in Hindu resources of hermeneutics, and presents Hindu thought in a new light... more
Highlights the interpretive dimension of religion (Hinduism) and the religious dimension of interpretation (Western hermeneutics)
Seeks transcultural value in Hindu resources of hermeneutics, and presents Hindu thought in a new light by recontextualizing it with Western hermeneutics
Contains contributions conceiving of new interpretive angles, new connections, and potential relationships that take into full consideration the differences inherent in Indian and Western intellectual cultures
Opens up the possibility that Hinduism may be more than just a religion to be studied
Enriches our understanding when elucidated and elaborated as a theme in the hermeneutical tradition
Seeks transcultural value in Hindu resources of hermeneutics, and presents Hindu thought in a new light by recontextualizing it with Western hermeneutics
Contains contributions conceiving of new interpretive angles, new connections, and potential relationships that take into full consideration the differences inherent in Indian and Western intellectual cultures
Opens up the possibility that Hinduism may be more than just a religion to be studied
Enriches our understanding when elucidated and elaborated as a theme in the hermeneutical tradition
Research Interests:
Worship of the divine feminine has always been a distinctive feature of the Hindu tradition. Village goddesses, worshiped for millennia, still have currency today. Female divinities, such as Sarasvati, Vac, Aditi, and Viraj, populate the... more
Worship of the divine feminine has always been a distinctive feature of the Hindu tradition. Village goddesses, worshiped for millennia, still have currency today. Female divinities, such as Sarasvati, Vac, Aditi, and Viraj, populate the earliest Vedic literature. Later, different facets of the feminine principle are mentioned in philosophical literature; these include prakriti/pradhana (the natural world and the material substance of the universe); shakti (the creatuve power of a supreme being); and maya (the divine power of morphogenesis, differentiation, and veiling of the underlying unity)...The full unfolding of the feminine principle occurs in the texts of the tantric tradition (tantras, agamas, nigamas, pancharatra samhitas) with the complex systemization of the functions of Shakti.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
On Shivaratri 2021, I was honored to be invited to send Letter 51 on the 51st day of the Biden-Harris Administration by American Values, Religious Voices: 100 Days, 100 Letters. It is a privilege to be part of this national, nonpartisan... more
On Shivaratri 2021, I was honored to be invited to send Letter 51 on the 51st day of the Biden-Harris Administration by American Values, Religious Voices: 100 Days, 100 Letters. It is a privilege to be part of this national, nonpartisan campaign. The editors note that it was "created from the conviction that scholars who study and teach our diverse religious traditions have something important to say about our shared American values and pressing issues of our day. For the first 100 days of the Biden Administration—from January 20 to April 29, 2021—we will send a letter a day to President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Members of the 117th Congress, just as we sent 100 letters to President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Members of the 115th Congress in 2017. The letters bring the voices of Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh scholars to the ears and inboxes of our leaders in Washington and our followers across the country, providing hope and unity during a time of hardship and division and calling upon us to live up to our nation’s highest ideals. The Letters have also been read out in archived recorded messages and are available online. The Values & Voices letter writers live “from sea to shining sea.” Scholars in the 2017 and 2021 campaigns hail from over twenty-five states and the District of Columbia. Our contributors teach at institutions of higher learning across the country; other letter writers lead major organizations. In a February 9, 2017 Philadelphia Inquirer article on American Values, Religious Voices campaign, Dr. Elsie Stern (author of Letter 100) stated: “I would love to see this project with every presidential election. I think this one grew out of a sense of urgency and anxiety, but I think the idea that these incredibly wise religious traditions have a lot to say to folks who have just ascended to positions of enormous power isn’t specific to this moment.”
Research Interests: Political Philosophy, Religion and Politics, Religion and Ecology, American Civil Religion, Tolerance, and 15 moreReligious Diversity, Cultural and Religious Diversity, Interreligious Relations, The Immigrant Experience, Immigrant Experiences, Belonging and Citizenship, Faith and Politics, Political Advocacy and Faith Communities, American Environmental History, Hinduism and Ecology, Faith and Politics in the US , American pluralism, Hindu Theology, Biden-Harris Administration , and Spirituality of Land
There’s a growing belief that teachings from religious faiths belong in the discussion around environmental protection. Scientists regularly study the ongoing degradation of Earth’s environment and track the changes wrought by a warming... more
There’s a growing belief that teachings from religious faiths belong in the discussion around environmental protection. Scientists regularly study the ongoing degradation of Earth’s environment and track the changes wrought by a warming planet. Economists warn that intensifying disasters are harming people’s quality of life. And policymakers focus on crafting rules to diminish the health and environmental effects of humanity’s growing footprint.
What is the role of philosophers and people of faith in this bigger discussion around the environment and sustainability? Professor Rita D. Sherma is Co-chair of a research initiative aimed at bringing the beliefs of religion, spirituality, and ethics to the study of sustainability. Here she explains the core ideas behind “green spirituality,” how religion and environmental protection are closely intertwined, and the role faith can play in restoring hope amid the drumbeat of discouraging environmental news.
What is the role of philosophers and people of faith in this bigger discussion around the environment and sustainability? Professor Rita D. Sherma is Co-chair of a research initiative aimed at bringing the beliefs of religion, spirituality, and ethics to the study of sustainability. Here she explains the core ideas behind “green spirituality,” how religion and environmental protection are closely intertwined, and the role faith can play in restoring hope amid the drumbeat of discouraging environmental news.
Research Interests:
Contemporary conceptions of religion focus on historical narratives and events, on customs and practices, on beliefs and attitudes. But religion far exceeds these narrow and superficial boundaries. The history of religions shows a... more
Contemporary conceptions of religion focus on historical narratives and events, on customs and practices, on beliefs and attitudes. But religion far exceeds these narrow and superficial boundaries. The history of religions shows a continuous dynamic engagement with new vistas of human life and growth. A historical-critical analysis shows both the depths of cruelty and carnage, and the ultimate reaches of care and compassion for others.
Religion was the most innovative force in human life until the emergence of modern science. It remains a potent source of active inspiration for human endeavor even today. What is often forgotten in the rhetoric against religion is its creative plenitude. This creative legacy, across religious cultures, includes the origins of art, architecture, literature, poetry, music, theater and, in some cultures, healing and medicine.
Religion was the most innovative force in human life until the emergence of modern science. It remains a potent source of active inspiration for human endeavor even today. What is often forgotten in the rhetoric against religion is its creative plenitude. This creative legacy, across religious cultures, includes the origins of art, architecture, literature, poetry, music, theater and, in some cultures, healing and medicine.
Research Interests:
ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS ON HINDU, BUDDHIST, JAIN, & YOGA STUDIES ACADEMIC PAPERS. ~CURRENT SPECIAL ISSUE: "RASA & AESTHETICS" https://www.springer.com/journal/42240 SPRINGER ACCEPTING PAPERS -- The Academic Study of Hindu, Jain, Buddhist,... more
ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS ON HINDU, BUDDHIST, JAIN, & YOGA STUDIES ACADEMIC PAPERS.
~CURRENT SPECIAL ISSUE: "RASA & AESTHETICS"
https://www.springer.com/journal/42240
SPRINGER
ACCEPTING PAPERS -- The Academic Study of Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, and Yoga Thought and Practices.
The mission of the Journal of Dharma Studies: Philosophy, Theology, Ethics, and Culture is to employ theoretical and empirical methodologies for the intersubjective understanding of, and real-world applications of the conceptual resources, textual sources, and experiential practices—including ritual, social, ethical, liturgical, contemplative, or communitarian—to foster critical-constructive reflections on Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, and Yoga traditions (what is now referred to as Dharma Studies). The journal seeks to contextualize these traditions in reference to the contemporary global era, with large diasporic populations affiliated with these religions to be found across the globe. It tries to uncover both the interconnected histories of these traditions and, simultaneously highlight the significant differences and rich diversity of philosophy and practice found within the Dharma Traditions. Its scope lies beyond purely descriptive, journalistic, methodologies and moves towards an expansion of Dharma Studies to intersect with emerging areas and disciplines with the aim of a robust and rigorous interdisciplinary discourse on Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist Philosophy, Theology, Ethics, and Culture in engagement with areas including but not limited to: Sustainability Studies and Religions, Ecological Economics, Environmental Ethics, Social Equitability, Peace and Conflict Studies, Medicine and Religion, Contemplative Studies, Aesthetics and Semiotics, Consciousness Studies, Philosophy of Ritual, Theology and the Natural Sciences, Religion and Bioscience, Cross-Cultural and Diaspora Studies in Religion.
~CURRENT SPECIAL ISSUE: "RASA & AESTHETICS"
https://www.springer.com/journal/42240
SPRINGER
ACCEPTING PAPERS -- The Academic Study of Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, and Yoga Thought and Practices.
The mission of the Journal of Dharma Studies: Philosophy, Theology, Ethics, and Culture is to employ theoretical and empirical methodologies for the intersubjective understanding of, and real-world applications of the conceptual resources, textual sources, and experiential practices—including ritual, social, ethical, liturgical, contemplative, or communitarian—to foster critical-constructive reflections on Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, and Yoga traditions (what is now referred to as Dharma Studies). The journal seeks to contextualize these traditions in reference to the contemporary global era, with large diasporic populations affiliated with these religions to be found across the globe. It tries to uncover both the interconnected histories of these traditions and, simultaneously highlight the significant differences and rich diversity of philosophy and practice found within the Dharma Traditions. Its scope lies beyond purely descriptive, journalistic, methodologies and moves towards an expansion of Dharma Studies to intersect with emerging areas and disciplines with the aim of a robust and rigorous interdisciplinary discourse on Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist Philosophy, Theology, Ethics, and Culture in engagement with areas including but not limited to: Sustainability Studies and Religions, Ecological Economics, Environmental Ethics, Social Equitability, Peace and Conflict Studies, Medicine and Religion, Contemplative Studies, Aesthetics and Semiotics, Consciousness Studies, Philosophy of Ritual, Theology and the Natural Sciences, Religion and Bioscience, Cross-Cultural and Diaspora Studies in Religion.
Research Interests: Buddhist Philosophy, Buddhist Studies, South Asian Studies, Contemplative Studies, South Asian Religions, and 14 moreBuddhist Ethics, South Asian Diaspora, Asian American Religion, Hindu Studies, Indian religions, North American Religions, JAIN STUDIES, Asian and Comparative Philosophy, South Asian Culture, Philosophy and Religion, Yoga Studies, Dharma Studies, Hindu Theology, Dharma and Ecology, and East Asian Reliigon
The concept of the Journal of Dharma Studies arose from the scholarship produced by a learned society, the Dharma Academy of North America (DANAM), 1 which has been meeting annually for over fifteen years in conjunction with the annual... more
The concept of the Journal of Dharma Studies arose from the scholarship produced by a learned society, the Dharma Academy of North America (DANAM), 1 which has been meeting annually for over fifteen years in conjunction with the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion (AAR). Over this time, nearly a thousand scholars have participated in or attended the conferences of DANAM and helped foster analytical-constructive and translational research and scholarship on various fields and sub-disciplines. These include philosophy, theologies, ethics, epistemologies, hermeneutics, semiotics, esthetics, asceticism, praxis, metaphysics, musicology, gender, classical literature, and direct responses to critical planetary challenges-all of which comprise the diverse expressions of the Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist religious traditions. Perhaps, most importantly, the DANAM School of Thought has developed, for methodological and pedagogical use, the terms BDharma Traditions^ and BDharma Studies^-that is, the (i) singular, (ii) interrelated (inter-Dharma), and (iii) dialogical (interreligious) academic study of the three traditions that emerged in ancient India but are, at present, global in scope and experience. Arguably, the most important rationales for the development of the term were to: i. Avoid the conflation of the study of the Dharma Traditions with Area Studies in order to highlight the international and variegated expressions of Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain thought and practice. ii. Examine the shared histories, categories, significance of commonly held philosophical assumptions, epistemic methodologies, and practices, as well as two millennia of mutual illumination and cross fertilization, between the Dharma Traditions.