Wiley, a visiting lecturer for courses in Indian religions at the University of California at Berkeley and author of various articles on Jainism, her specialty, has provided more than a dictionary of a specific religion. She has created a valuable reference work for anyone initially studying Jainism and for those already familiar with it and who, at various times, may need a quick refresher to key aspects of this religion. Her work, therefore, can simultaneously appeal to a range of users from academic and public libraries alike.
Wiley enhances the core dictionary with valuable information both in the preceding pages and in the appendices. Before the wealth of information in the dictionary, she gives the reader a pronunciation guide for the terms and names encountered within the text. In addition, spelling conventions and abbreviations are outlined so the reader can understand the structure of the words and terms in the entries. Other key features include an outline, discussion, and description of the Jain Scriptures and texts along with a chronology of key events for the Jain community of believers. A concise, but extremely informative, overview of the Jain religion follows the chronology.
The majority of this work, over 200 pages, is, of course, the dictionary of extensive explanations for the essential elements and various aspects of Jainism. Wiley demonstrates her diligence in planning the alphabetic arrangement of entries and in her research through the extensive cross‐references to other entries within this text or to additional works by other experts. Her expertise in this specific Indian religion is evident in her thorough exposition of the dictionary entries. The photographs with detailed captions and the illustrations provide added value to her work.
Appendices include material describing and outlining the stages of spiritual progress and purification so the soul can be free of karma, the stages of renunciation for lay believers, and the Jain festival calendar. Information on major spiritual leaders is also provided in charts showing each leader's distinguishing marks, attending male and female deities, birth place, and place of nirvana. The extensive bibliography can be considered a work in itself and contains a brief introduction along with a specific table of contents. Wiley assists the reader by dividing the bibliography into major sections highlighting additional works that are overall surveys, collections of essays on various topics, and texts in translation. She also outlines works that provide additional reading for many aspects of Jainism including historical development, religious thought and philosophy, practices and popular beliefs, social organization, biography, mythology, art and architecture, sacred places, and Jainism's influence beyond South Asia. Overall, this is a valuable, well‐designed resource that can be used by a variety of researchers.
