Absent Lord

Ascetics and Kings in a Jain Ritual Culture

By: Lawrence A. Babb

Write A Review

Paperback | 1 August 1996 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
256 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
2.28 x 1.57 x 0.16

Paperback

$51.15

or 4 interest-free payments of $12.79 with

Ships in 5 to 7 business days

What does it mean to worship beings that one believes are completely indifferent to, and entirely beyond the reach of, any form of worship whatsoever? How would such a relationship with sacred beings affect the religious life of a community? Using these questions as his point of departure, Lawrence A. Babb explores the ritual culture of image-worshipping Svetambar Jains of the western Indian states of Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Jainism traces its lineages back to the ninth century B.C.E. and is, along with Buddhism, the only surviving example of India's ancient non-Vedic religious traditions. It is known and celebrated for its systematic practice of non-violence and for the intense rigor of the asceticism it promotes. A unique aspect of Babb's study is his linking of the Jain tradition to the social identity of existing Jain communities.

Babb concludes by showing that Jain ritual culture can be seen as a variation on pan-Indian ritual patterns. In illuminating this little-known religious tradition, he demonstrates that divine "absence" can be as rich as divine "presence" in its possibilities for informing a religious response to the cosmos.

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $79.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.

Defective items

If there is a problem with any of the items received for your order then the Booktopia Customer Care team is ready to assist you.

For more info please visit our Help Centre.

You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Religion & Beliefs Other Non-Christian Religions Jainism Sociology & Anthropology Anthropology Aspects of Religion for Non-Christians Worship Religion Comparative Religion History Regional & National History

Asian History Islam Buddhism

List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Note on Transliteration
Introduction	p. 1
Victors	p. 22
The Lord's Last Life	p. 23
The Cosmos	p. 38
Living Ascetics	p. 52
Kings of the Gods	p. 64
The Lord's Bath	p. 65
Reflexivity	p. 84
Magical Monks: A Ritual Subculture	p. 102
Ascetic Career as Ritual Charter	p. 103
Dadagurudevs	p. 111
A Ritual Subculture	p. 126
Valor: The Transformation of Warrior-Kings	p. 137
Kings Who Give Up Meat	p. 138
Khartar Gacch Legends	p. 160
Warrior-Kings Transformed	p. 168
Giving and Giving Up	p. 174
Variations	p. 176
Hot Potatoes	p. 186
Notes	p. 197
Glossary	p. 217
Bibliography	p. 223
Index	p. 231
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.

Absent Lord

Ascetics and Kings in a Jain Ritual Culture

At a Glance

Paperback

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

More in Religion & Beliefs

Can You Handle a Girl Like Me?

She left the cult that raised her. Then she had to learn how to live.

The Outrageous Good Fortune of Living

A guide to replacing religion with meaning and grace, for readers of Julia Baird, Stephanie Dowrick and Alain de Botton

The Prosperous Heart

Creating a Life of Enough

The World of Witches

A Cultural History of Witchcraft in a 1000-piece Jigsaw Puzzle

Liturgies of the Wild

Myths that Make Us

Isis Magic

25th Anniversary Edition: Cultivating a Relationship with the Goddess of 10,000 Names

The Great Cosmic Mother

Rediscovering the Religion of the Earth

Big Panda and Tiny Dragon

The beautifully illustrated novel about friendship and hope

Perth Then And Now

Then and Now

Bible Devotions & Coloring for Women

Spiritual Guidance for Everyday Life: Includes 80 inspirational coloring pages

Communion

Finding My Way Back to Faith

Back to Eden: Classic Guide to Herbal Medicine, Natural Food and Home Remedies Since 1939

Revised & Updated Edition

Conversations with God

An Uncommon Dialogue : Book 1

The Power of Now

A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

The Cat Who Taught Zen

The beautifully illustrated new tale from the bestselling author of Big Panda and Tiny Dragon

8 Rules of Love

How to Find it, Keep it, and Let it Go

Eight Million Ways to Happiness

Find your own way to inner peace with the wisdom of Japan

My Story

A spiritual and intellectual autobiography

HOW TO KILL A WITCH

A Guide For The Patriarchy

Rasputin

And the Downfall of the Romanovs

Snake Talk

How the world's ancient serpent stories can guide us

Norse-Gaelic Paganism

Viking and Irish Myth and Magic

Murriyang

Song of Time

Falling Upward, Revised and Updated

A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life

This product is categorised by