
John E. Cort is Professor Emeritus of Religion at Denison University, where he also taught in the East Asian Studies, Environmental Studies and International Studies programs. He is the author and editor of many books and articles on religion, history, literature, society and culture in western India, with a focus on the Jains. Most recently, he co-edited Brill’s Encyclopedia of Jainism with Paul Dundas, Knut A. Jakobsen and Kristi L. Wiley (2020).
Maja Sevenant recently graduated with a Master in the Arts of Oriental languages and cultures of India at the University of Ghent, Belgium. As an Indologist at the beginning of her academic career, she takes interest in South Asian goddess traditions. Currently, she specialises in Jain goddess worship, more specifically the worship traditions of Jvālāmālinī and Saccikā. She has broader interests in Sanskrit literature, iconography, and interactions between Hindus and Jains that shaped South Asian goddess traditions.
Jyoti Agarwal is a PhD Candidate at the Department of Religion at Emory University, Atlanta. She completed her M.Phil. degree at the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (2021). She received a bachelor’s degree in History from Delhi University (2017) and a master’s degree in Medieval History from CHS, JNU, New Delhi (2019). Her research interests include Early Modern South Asia, Regional Histories, Religious Mobilities, Jain Pilgrimages, Mughals, and Connected Histories of South Asia.
Achyut Kant Jain is an Assistant Professor at the Center for Jain Studies, Jain University, Bangalore, Karnataka, India. He earned his PhD from Jain Vishva Bharati Institute, Ladnun, Rajasthan in August 2024, and holds the UGC NET-JRF qualification.
Aashi Jain is a Ph.D. candidate in Religious Studies at the University of Ottawa, Canada, focusing on the intersection of religion, ethics, and end-of-life decision-making. Her research examines the Jain ritual practice of Sallekhana, a voluntary fasting to death, analyzing its implications for contemporary bioethical discussions on autonomy, dignity, and palliative care. Jain earned her Master of Arts from Florida International University, where she investigated the medicalization of Jain faith-based healing practices through the Bhaktāmara Stotra. Since 2022, she has been an active volunteer with Dying with Dignity Canada, engaging with ethical issues surrounding end-of-life care.