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2.2. Faith and practice in religion
This part is a dialogical construction of the relation between faith and practice in (mainly) the author's own religion and life, but with an outlook on similar issues in other religions as well. This latter aspect, however, namely other religions, will be more systematically addressed in the next part, part 2.3. The present part is designed in the form of a semi-open interview, but in such a way that both the voice of the interviewer, T, and that of the interviewee, R, are intertwined. What comes out is actually a product of the two together, of the focus and framing induced by T, and the responsible refocusing and reframing by R, and vice versa. It seems appropriate, therefore, to start with the carefully crafted introduction and questions that T sent to R beforehand, because that in itself was a supplement to the author's extensive text on Jainism, and prior conversations on what this might mean for practice, or for going from in vitro to in vivo, as it was called in these prior conversations. Here is the first focusing and framing induced by T beforehand:
Introduction to the interview
Jainism is one of the oldest living religions in the world. Believed by their adherents to be over 3000 years old, it has its own distinct heritage of religious scriptures, arts, rituals and ethics. Originating in India, although small in number, it also boasts one of the most successful and enduring business communities worldwide. Most Jains follow a highly ethical code of conduct, and it may well be that their strong family and community values, their generous philanthropy, and their high sense of self-discipline demonstrate the critical importance of culture and community to lasting business success (Bilefsky 2003; Cort 2001; Jain 2011; Jaini 2002; Sangave 1997; Shah 1996 and 2007). Other areas in which the Jain cultural-religious heritage has lately been profiled are ecology and sustainability (Chapple 2002; Singhvi 2002).
One of their biggest successes is considered the contemporary diamond industry. In the eyes of outsiders it was perceived that, 'out of nowhere', they came to dominate the world trade in diamond polishing in the relative short span of fifty years. In the Wall Street Journal of 27 May, 2003, this was given the following expression: "Indians Unseat Antwerp Jews as the Biggest Diamond Traders.” Apart from Antwerp, there are some 40,000 Jains in the UK alone, forming the largest concentration of Jains outside India, a considerable portion of which consists of Jains originating from East Africa. In North America and Australia, too, many Jains have come to occupy leading positions. In Asia, apart from their home country India, they have a particular presence in cities such as Singapore and Hong Kong
Business practices cannot be isolated from their wider social and cultural contexts. Max Weber's classic study on Protestant work ethics (1930; 2001) is a much cited example. The professions Jains choose are often determined by their values and moral principles. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to detach themselves from profit and success, and are constantly reminded of a higher moral purpose
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