About the Journal

Aims and Scope 

Prajñā Vihāra is a multicultural and pluralistic journal of ethics, philosophy and religious studies dedicated to the promotion of mutual understanding among the diverse peoples of the world. In the spirit of the Sanskrit words “Prajñā Vihāra” meaning “temple of wisdom,” the editors encourage creative academic work that promotes a sharing of wisdom among scholars and readers. It welcomes specialized articles in Ethics, Philosophy, Religion and Cultural Studies that seek to promote harmony between various philosophical and religious traditions while respecting cultural and religious difference. It especially welcomes articles that engage with philosophical and religious issues in the Southeast Asian region.

The journal offers a forum for challenging but responsible discussion of controversial issues in philosophy and religion. The accuracy of research and scholarship is partly ensured through a double-blind peer review process, but the final responsibility belongs to the authors and not to the editors or the Assumption University of Thailand.

Publication Frequency

Prajñā Vihāra is a semiannual journal published two times a year (January to June, and July to December) by the Guna Chakra Research Center, Graduate School of Philosophy and Religion at Assumption University of Thailand.

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

Ethics Statement

Prajñā Vihāra follows the "Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors" which was created by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). It also obeys the ethical guidelines for research adopted by Assumption University of Thailand.

The editors of Prajna Vihara decide upon the acceptance or rejection of articles. These decisions are based upon the journals Aim and Scope and the quality and originality of the article. The editorial decision to accept or reject is not influenced by nationality, ethnicity, political beliefs, race or the religion of the authors, but since the journal is dedicated to a pluralistic understanding of Philosophy and Religion, it often refuses articles that are overly dogmatic or proselytizing.

To maintain the quality of the journal we attempt in ensure the quality of submissions in the following ways:

  • Articles are subjected to double blind peer review.
  • Editors try to use a diverse group of peer reviewers who expertise matches the submission to give authors feedback on how to improve their articles. Reviewer are also chosen for their ethical commitment and timely reviews.
  • The editors and reviewers will also be attentive to violation of best practices such as unethical research, data manipulation, redundant publication, self-citation and plagiarism.
  • In the case of articles which uses interviews, the editors try to clear the manuscript with the interviewees prior to publication to ensure accuracy.
  • Authorship and co-authorship credits are based on contributions to the manuscript which include: planning, conducting and facilitating the research; drafting and revising majority of the article; and finalizing the version to be published.
  • To discourage plagiarism, authors are required, upon acceptance of their article, to sign the Consent to Publish and Transfer of copyright form, in which the author attests that he or she is the author of the article about to be published by the journal.
  • In case of plagiarism or fraud, discovered either prior to or after publication, the editors confront the author with the discovery, and in some cases reporting the fraud to the institution to which the author is affiliated, or informing the wronged party. Should the plagiarism or fraud be discovered after publication, the journal will publish a retraction.

The editorial team maintains confidentiality concerning the author's research. If the author's research is funded by an outside agency, this should be cited in the paper.

Along with the Publication Ethics developed by COPE, the journal also follows the research ethics adopted by Assumption University of Thailand. This covers the ethics of interviews, and behavioral observations in the social sciences. And the respect directed to cultural heritage.

We would recommend that those submitting to the journal refrain from using AI programs to aid in writing their articles. We have found that AI often distorts or disguises the meaning of an article in the process of 'improving' it. Our editors and peer reviewers are dedicated to improving the articles submitted and it is better for them to work from unmodified articles.

Prajñā Vihārahas always been an arena for dissemination of interesting and original research from the Southeast Asian region and the Asian region as a whole. It mission is to promote research which is done by scholars who use English as a second language. It is very attentive to promoting local research and improving submissions while balancing this with a commitment to ethics and best practices.

Sources of Support

Journal History

Since the year 2000, 'Prajñā Vihāra: Journal of Philosophy and Religion',has been devoted to giving regional scholars an opportunity to publish their research in the fields of philosophy, religion, culture and other topics within the humanities. It was established at Assumption University of Thailand. As an international Catholic university, Assumption University recognized the importance of the role of philosophy and religion in supporting and complementing its other academic programs. It also recognized the role of research in philosophy and religion for uniting the various Catholic universities in the region.

Because of this mission, the journal has always had a close relationship with two organizations: 'The Asian Association of Christian Philosophers (AACP)', and the 'Council for Research and Values in Philosophy (RVP)', the latter of which was created by the late Father George McLean. These two organizations have provided the pool of regional and international scholars which are represented in our Editorial Consultants.

The journal began as the 'ABAC Journal of Philosophy and Religion'in 1994, later changed to 'The Journal of Philosophy, Culture and Religion' in January 1996. The first editor-in-chief was Dr. Kirti Bunchua. The journal was promoted by the then president of the university Brother Martin Komolmas with the following words:

"Materialistic concepts and not spiritual values, self-adulation and not self-abnegation, savagery and not compassion appear to be transforming the human psyche, and to check and reverse this dangerous and nefarious trend, we must have recourse to philosophy and metaphysics, to old values and to religion, before we are doomed to annihilation and extinction from the earth."

The early issues of the journal featured essays by the famous American philosopher John Caputo, Paul F. Knitter, and our mentor, the late Fr. George McLean, who always held a special place in the editorial board.

In the year 2000, the journal's name was changed to 'Prajñā Vihāra: Journal of Philosophy and Religion.' This reflected the renewed emphasis on its role as a promoter of pluralist thought and its role as the major English language journal devoted to philosophy and religion within South East Asia. This mission is reflected the statement of its Aim and Scope.