The doctrine of ‘many-pointedness’ as a form of apologia – what can we learn from the Jainists?

This article explores the possibility of drawing inspiration from apologetic strategies found in other religions. As a ‘case study,’ I examine the tradition of Jainism, with particular emphasis on its epistemological system. Jainism, still practiced on the Indian subcontinent, contains many unique elements. Outwardly, it resembles religions such as Hinduism or Buddhism, yet its worldview is atheistic and materialistic. A distinctive feature of Jainism is the doctrine of ‘manypointedness’ of knowledge, linked to a sevenvalued logic system, which was developed as a tool for engaging in debates with other philosophical schools. The aim of this article is to broaden the understanding of certain universal apologetic strategies by examining a tradition that is both foreign and distant from the Christian experience.