LMU Jain Studies

Gold Mahavira Statue

  • The Jain tradition is famous for its commitments to non-violence, non-possession, religious tolerance, and charity. The Jain Studies program at LMU seeks to promote these values for the benefit of LMU's students and the world at large.

    Dr. Christopher Chapple has been a pioneer of Jain Studies at LMU since his arrival to the university in 1985 through his teaching, his numerous books and articles about the Jain tradition, and his extensive work with the Jain community both in the United States and in India. In 2019, Dr. Christopher Miller became the Bhagwan Mallinath Assistant Professor of Jain Studies, thereby augmenting the university's course offerings and research in Jain Studies.

    The study of Jainism has much to offer LMU's undergraduate community in order to fulfill the university's Jesuit mission at large, which seeks to foster:

    1. the encouragement of learning
    2. the education of the whole person and
    3. the service of faith and the promotion of justice