Riches and Renunciation

`Through a carefully articulated set of arguments and vivid descriptions of fasts, feasts and festivities, Laidlaw ... describes the mythology and doctrine of Jainism, the relations of Jains with other groups in Indian society ... The book is rich in detail and full of information about the Jaina way of life ... an excellent piece of research which contributes substantially to the understanding of Jaina ethics and way of life ... it will certainly be of great import to cultural anthropologists.' Contemporary South Asia `Through a carefully articulated set of arguments and vivid descriptions of fasts, feasts and festivities, Laidlaw ... describes the mythology and doctrine of Jainism, the relations of Jains with other groups in Indian society ... The book is rich in details and full of information about the Jaina way of life ... an excellent piece of research which contributes substantially to the understanding of Jaina ethics and way of life ... it will certainly be of great import to cultural anthropologists.' Contemporary South Asia `Laidlaw's details and careful argumentation override the occasional heavy-handed appeals to theoretical models, ultimately leaving the reader satiated and unquestionably better informed about Jain belief and practice. This book would be appropriate for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and a must for anyone seriously interested in Indian religions, the urban middle-class, or social ethics.' Religious Studies Review `James Laidlaw's Riches and Renunciation is the most substantial book in this flurry of scholarship ... Laidlaw in good post-structuralist fashion is content to let the contradictions and tensions exist side by side in a web of relationships.' Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies