MA in Religion, Concentration in Yoga Studies

Established 2026

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Center for the Study of Jain Yoga

Program Instances

Hybrid

Dates: TBD

500 hours • TBD

Led by

Christopher Jain Miller, PhD

CYT-L3

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Purpose

As a human society, we face unprecedented environmental and social challenges. Most Jains and non-Jains interested in learning about the Jain tradition therefore wish to understand how they can incorporate the tradition’s philosophical and moral insights in daily personal, professional, social, and familial life for the betterment of society and the planet. What makes our master’s degree remarkably one of a kind is just that: its emphasis on integrating what students learn from rigorous Jain scholarship on philosophy, ethics, history, and anthropology into their daily lives.

What to expect

Yoga Dharma Non-Violence Non-Possession

Our MA’s interreligious course offerings augment these integrations with further critical and much sought-after insights from yoga, dharma traditions, and other religious philosophies while also providing elective courses that consider applications of fundamental Jain principles such as non-violence (ahimsa), non-possession (aparigraha), and openness to dialogue with other religious traditions (anekantavada) in light of allied fields such as animal studies, environmental studies, and business ethics.

Ahimsa is the paramount virtue in the Jain tradition that espouses non-violence in thought, word, and deed toward all forms of life including animals and the environment. Aparigraha, or non-possession, requires that we live a simple, non-consumptive life amidst the sensory trappings of contemporary consumer society and requires us to limit our material possessions to reduce our environmental impact. Anekantavada requires that we maintain an openness to learning about and appreciating other religious and philosophical viewpoints in addition to our own to create a more open-minded and peaceful society. To help integrate these principles from their coursework, students are encouraged to engage with their local communities, non-profit organizations, or other institutions to ensure engaged learning and application of their learning in service to the world.

Style/Lineage

Timeless Wisdom for Today's Urgent Problems

Claremont School of Theology (CST) offers a first of its kind, remotely available Master of Arts in Engaged Jain Studiesin partnership withArihanta Institute(DBA Arihanta Academy). Bringing you leading scholars from around the world, this flexible remote program is designed to teach you how to apply timeless Jain wisdom in your busy everyday life whether you are Jain or not.

Additional Information

Who would be interested in such a degree?

Anyone who wants to understand how to apply Jain philosophy and principles in daily life at the highest level, including, but not limited to:

Young adult professionals and householders, both Jain and non-Jain
Non-Jains who are aligned with Jain values and want to enrich their personal, spiritual, social, and professional lives (e.g. vegans, animal advocates, and environmentalists)
Young adults and those in retirement who want to enhance their spiritual lives
Students of any age interested in a rich philosophy of non-violence, non-possession, and inter-religious/inter-philosophical wisdom
Students of any age who understand environmental and animal rights action as a ministry or spiritual imperative

What does this degree offer its recipients?

Our MA emphasizes application of Jain principles with expert faculty who have been using an “engaged Jainism” pedagogical technique at the university level for years. This approach brings Jain wisdom down to earth, making it relevant for the many challenges we face as a human society.

In addition to their own personal and spiritual development, graduates will learn to enrich their professional lives with Jain principles and ethics and to develop their own entrepreneurial endeavors. Others seeking further graduate studies will be prepared for pursuing a PhD in Jain Studies, Yoga Studies, Dharma Studies, South Asian Studies, and other related fields of scholarly inquiry.

Core competencies

By the end of this program, graduates will be able to…

Yoga History & Theory

Analyze Jain ontology, metaphysics, cosmology, epistemology, ethics, and soteriology, demonstrating accurate use of key concepts and terminology.
Analyze the historical development of Jain philosophy in relation to other South Asian philosophical systems, identifying significant points of influence, distinction, and dialogue.
Apply Jain philosophical principles to personal, social, and/or professional contexts, demonstrating thoughtful and contextually appropriate integration.
Analyze and interpret primary Jain texts, including the Tattvārtha Sūtra, and secondary scholarship, including Brill’s Encyclopedia of Jainism, using accurate citation and source-based argumentation.
Create an original, source-grounded research paper that integrates personal research interests with cumulative learning in Jain Studies and comparative South Asian philosophy.
Analyze the historical development and contexts of haṭha yoga traditions, including medieval and modern Jain forms, using relevant primary and secondary sources.
Analyze intertextual relationships between haṭha yoga and Jain yoga texts, identifying shared concepts, adaptations, and points of divergence.
Apply postural, breathing, and meditation techniques drawn from medieval haṭha yoga texts, demonstrating appropriate understanding of their historical context and intended practice.
Conduct and present original research in Yoga Studies and Engaged Jain Studies, demonstrating appropriate research methods, source use, and scholarly argumentation.
Develop and apply a research methodology incorporating Generative AI to support research in haṭha and/or Jain yoga while demonstrating appropriate source evaluation and scholarly integrity.
Analyze foundational histories and philosophical frameworks of yoga across major traditions.
Apply core Yoga Studies research methodologies, including historical, philological, philosophical, cultural, and engaged approaches, to selected research questions.
Analyze the emergence of Jain Yoga in relation to other yoga traditions using an Engaged Jain Studies methodology.
Analyze and interpret Patañjali’s Yogasūtra as a foundational cross-traditional text relevant to the study of Jain Yoga.
Conduct and present original research on Jain Yoga using a Generative AI methodology that demonstrates critical evaluation, appropriate attribution, and scholarly integrity.
Analyze major historical developments in transnational modern yoga and their relationship to broader social, political, and cultural contexts.
Analyze how particular forms of modern yoga intersect with social justice issues, including colonization, racism, appropriation, gender, and necropolitics.
Conduct and present ethnographic fieldwork or social-historical research examining a contemporary yoga community in relation to a specific social justice issue.
Evaluate major issues and questions in Modern Yoga Studies using relevant scholarship and evidence.
Apply foundational methods of yoga ethnography and social history to develop and communicate research findings.
Analyze the historical development of Jain Yoga in relation to broader historical, religious, and philosophical contexts.
Analyze key Jain Yoga thinkers and compare the distinctive features of their philosophical and practical systems.
Conduct and present basic research in Jain Yoga, Yoga Studies, and Jain Studies using appropriate sources, methodology, and scholarly conventions.
Apply fundamental Jain yoga and meditation techniques while evaluating their historical context and relevance to contemporary life.
Translate and interpret primary Sanskrit and Prakrit Jain yoga texts by applying appropriate grammatical, philological, and contextual methods.

AYC allows each school to state and evaluate the competencies each student acquires. Students rate how well the program delivered them.

Program Emphasis

Evaluation methods

Program evaluations

Written Exam
Written Submission

Summative Courses

The student will choose between the Thesis and Non-Thesis options. Students planning to apply for PhD programs should strongly consider the Thesis option. Further details about the thesis and its requirements and deadlines can be found in the catalog. The Non-Thesis option will include a portfolio of major assignments from the student’s coursework as well as short reflective papers on the student’s learning and experience in their program.

Thesis students take TIS 3063 Master’s Summative Exercise in the final Fall semester before graduation.

Non-Thesis students take TMC 3100 MA Colloquium in the final Spring semester before graduation.

AYC Evaluations

AYC also requires the following experience for Level 3 Yoga Teacher badges:

10+ years teaching experience
sessions taught per year

More about AYC levels

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Program Faculty

Featured Faculty

Christopher Jain Miller, PhD

Professor, Author, and Practitioner-Scholar specializing in the Yoga Sūtra, Jain Yoga, & Modern Yoga Studies

arihantainstitute.org

San Jose, CA, US

Cogen Bohanec, MA, PhD

Professor and scholar of Hindu and Jain yoga traditions, specializing in Sanskrit and other South Asian languages, yoga philosophy, meditation, ethics, and classical South Asian texts. My teaching integrates traditional textual study with contemporary academic scholarship.

Eugene, OR, US