Frank Rogers, PhD | Spiritual Approaches to Cultivating Compassion

Engaged Jain Studies Podcast

This episode of the Engaged Jain Studies Podcast features Professor Christopher Jain Miller in conversation with Professor Frank Rogers Jr., the Muriel Bernice Roberts Professor of Spiritual Formation & Narrative Pedagogy and Co-Founder & Co-Director of the Center for Engaged Compassion at Claremont School of Theology. Professor Rogers explores the concept of compassion within Western monotheistic traditions—Christianity, Judaism, and Islam—and examines how connection to a Sacred compassionate source fosters deeper human compassion. Drawing from his extensive work in Compassion Studies, Professor Rogers offers insights on cultivating self-compassion and extending it to the world.

Course Announcement

📖 This EJS podcast episode offers a preview of Professor Roger's upcoming course for the 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 2016 | Spiritual Approaches to Cultivating Compassion. This course explores compassion formation processes that are grounded in Western monotheistic spiritual traditions. These formation processes promote a spiritual path of radical compassion rooted in contemplative encounters with an all-inclusive sacred Source and embodied in compassionate action that extends toward all—one's self, one's neighbor, even one's enemies. This course does not so much study compassion; it explores how to cultivate a compassionate presence in the world through these spiritual traditions.

The 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 is supported by a grant from the Uberoi Foundation.

🎧 Don’t forget to subscribe to the Engaged Jain Studies Podcast for more insightful discussions on Jain philosophy, ethics, and engaged spirituality!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES & LINKS

• 2016 | Spiritual Approaches to Cultivating Compassion
• Compassion Studies Initiative @Arihanta Institute
• Arihanta Institute | Ancient Wisdom for Modern Living

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ABOUT OUR PODCAST GUEST

Dr. Frank Rogers Jr. is the Muriel Bernice Roberts Professor of Spiritual Formation and Narrative Pedagogy and the co-director of the Center for Engaged Compassion at the Claremont School of Theology. A trained spiritual director and experienced retreat leader, his work focuses on spiritual formation that is contemplative grounded, personally empowering, and socially liberative. He is the author of several books including Cradled in the Arms of Compassion: A Spiritual Journey from Trauma to Recovery; Practicing Compassion; Compassion in Practice: The Way of Jesus (and its supplemental curriculum, The Way of Radical Compassion, and The God of Shattered Glass, A Novel. He lives in southern California with his wife, Dr. Alane Daugherty, with whom he shares three young adult sons, Justin, Michael, and Sammy. With his wife, he loves to run, hike, snorkel, and follow baseball.

ABOUT OUR PODCAST HOST

Christopher Jain Miller is the co-founder, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Professor of Jain and Yoga Studies at Arihanta Institute. He completed his PhD in the study of Religion at the University of California, Davis and is also a Visiting Researcher at the University of Zürich's Asien-Orient-Institut and Visiting Professor at Claremont School of Theology where he co-developed and co-runs a remotely available Masters Degree Program focusing on Engaged Jain Studies. His current research focuses on Engaged Jainism and Modern Yoga, and he is the author of a number of articles and book chapters concerned with Jainism and the practice of modern yoga. Christopher is the author of Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation (Routledge 2024), as well as co-editor of the volumes Engaged Jainism: Critical and Constructive Approaches to the Study of Jain Social Engagement (SUNY 2025) and Beacons of Dharma: Spiritual Exemplars for the Modern Age (Lexington 2020).

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