School of History, Religions and Philosophies, Department of Religions and Philosophies & Centre of Jaina Studies

Professor Peter Flügel

Key information

Roles
Department of Religions and Philosophies Professor in the Study of Religions and Philosophies Centre of Jaina Studies Chair SOAS South Asia Institute Academic staff Food Studies Centre Member Centre of Buddhist Studies Member
Qualifications
MA, Dr Phil (Mainz)
Building
Russell Square: College Buildings
Office
341
Email address
pf8@soas.ac.uk
Telephone number
+44 (0)20 7898 4776

Biography

Peter Flügel, Dr Phil Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, is Founding Chair of the Centre of Jaina Studies, and Professor of the Study of Religions and Philosophies at the Department of History, Religions and Philosophies in the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. 

He has published extensively on the history, anthropology and sociology of contemporary Jain schools and sects, Jain relic stūpas, Jaina-Vaiṣṇava syncretism, and on the socio-political and legal history of the Jain tradition. He is also working on social theory, and questions of comparative philosophy, pluralism and non-violence. 

He convenes the Annual Jaina Studies Workshops at SOAS, is editor of the International Journal of Jain Studies, series editor of Routledge Advances in Jaina Studies, and Jaina Studies of Harrassowitz, and principal investigator of the Jaina-Prosopography project.

Research interests

Peter Flügel has published extensively on the history, anthropology and sociology of contemporary Jain schools and sects, Jain relic stūpas, Jaina-Vaiṣṇava syncretism, and on the socio-political and legal history of the Jain tradition. He is also working on questions of comparative philosophy, pluralism and non-violence. 

He is the editor of the International Journal of Jain Studies, co-editor of Jaina Studies - Newsletter of the Centre of Jaina Studies, and series editor of Routledge Advances in Jaina Studies, and Jaina Studies (Harrassowitz).

Research projects

Fellowships

  • Millennium Fellow SOAS, University of London (2000-2002)
  • Lifelong Honorary Visiting Fellow, Department of Jainology and Comparative Religion & Philosophy, Jain Vishva Bharati Institute, Ladnun (Rajasthan) (from 2001)
  • Max Weber Center for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies, University of Erfurt (2012-2013)
  • The Royal Asiatic Society, Research Fellow (2020-)

International collaborations

  • Olle Qvarnström, Centre for Theology and Religious Studies, University of Lund, Jaina Studies Workshop at SOAS (from 2007)
  • Shahid Rahman, Department of Philosophy, University of Lille 3, Jaina Logic and Argumentation (from 2012)
  • Eva de Clercq, Ghent University, Jaina Studies, Cooperation in Postgraduate Research & Jaina Studies Workshop at SOAS (from 2013)
  • Research Network for Dynamic and Dialogical Approaches to Historical Logic (DDAHL)
  • The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune, India (MoU Jaina-Prosopography, from 2019)
  • Department of Prakrit & Pali University School of Languages, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India (MoU Jaina Prosopography, from 2019)
  • Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin (MoU Jaina Prosopography, from 2022)
  • Ruhr-Universität Bochum (MoU Jaina Bronzes, from 2023)

Awards

  • Ācārya Tulsī Anekānt Sammān. Ācārya Mahāprajña & M.G. Saraogi Foundation Calcutta, Dabaṛī (Rajasthan) 1999
  • International Pravartinī Pārvatī Jain Award, Sādhvī Sudhā & Award Committee, Ambala (Panjab) 2010
  • 'Jewel of the Jain World' Award 2012, Jain World Foundation USA

PhD Supervision

Name Title
Mr Manuel Antonio Ato Del Avellanal Carrera Interdependent Self and Engaged Citizenship: A Buddhist Approach to the Contemporary Philosophical Debate on Civic Virtue
Ms Unnata Pragya The Concept of Samudghāta in Jaina Philosophy
Corinne Smith Kānjī Svāmī: History, Teachings, and Community (working title)

Publications

Contact Peter

Research