Details
The Category of ‘Religion' in Contemporary Japan
Shūkyō and Temple Buddhism
CHF 106.50 |
|
Verlag: | Palgrave Macmillan |
Format: | |
Veröffentl.: | 17.04.2018 |
ISBN/EAN: | 9783319735702 |
Sprache: | englisch |
Dieses eBook enthält ein Wasserzeichen.
Beschreibungen
<p>This book critically examines the term ‘religion’ (<i>shūkyō</i>) as a social category within the sociological context of contemporary Japan. Whereas the nineteenth-century construction of <i>shūkyō</i> has been critically studied by many, the same critical approach has not been extended to the contemporary context of the Japanese-language discourse on <i>shūkyō</i> and Temple Buddhism. This work aims to unveil the norms and imperatives which govern the utilization of the term <i>shūkyō</i> in the specific context of modern day Japan, with a particular focus upon Temple Buddhism. The author draws on a number of popular publications in Japanese, many of which have been written by Buddhist priests. In addition, the book offers rich interview material from conversations with Buddhist priests.</p>Readers will gain insights into the critical deconstruction, the historicization, and the study of social classification system of ‘religion’, in terms of its cross-cultural application to thecontemporary Japanese context. The book will be of interest to students and scholars across a range of disciplines including Japanese Studies, Buddhology, Religious Studies, Social Anthropology, and Sociology. <p></p>
<p>1. Introduction.- 2. A 'Critical Religion' Approach to Japanese 'Religion(s)'.- 3. Critical Reflections on the Category 'Religion' in Japan. - 4. 'Religion' in the Popular Discourse. - 5. Temple Buddhism and the Japanese Social Classification: A Brief Historical Overview. - 6. The Construction of <i>Shūkyōka. </i>- 7. Life Stories and Identities of Nichiren-shū priests. - 8. Negotiating with ‘<i>Shūkyō</i>’ in the Context of the ‘Religious Corporation’. - 9. Conclusion. </p><p><br></p>
<p>Mitsutoshi Horii is Professor, Shumei University, Japan and Shumei Representative, Chaucer College, UK. </p>
<p>This book critically examines the term ‘religion’ (<i>shūkyō</i>) as a social category within the sociological context of contemporary Japan. Whereas the nineteenth-century construction of <i>shūkyō</i> has been critically studied by many, the same critical approach has not been extended to the contemporary context of the Japanese-language discourse on <i>shūkyō</i> and Temple Buddhism. This work aims to unveil the norms and imperatives which govern the utilization of the term <i>shūkyō</i> in the specific context of modern day Japan, with a particular focus upon Temple Buddhism. The author draws on a number of popular publications in Japanese, many of which have been written by Buddhist priests. In addition, the book offers rich interview material from conversations with Buddhist priests.</p>Readers will gain insights into the critical deconstruction, the historicization, and the study of social classification system of ‘religion’, in terms of its cross-cultural application to the contemporary Japanese context. The book will be of interest to students and scholars across a range of disciplines including Japanese Studies, Buddhology, Religious Studies, Social Anthropology, and Sociology. <p></p>
Provides an intervention and provocation to sociologists who apply the term 'religion' to countries and cultures such as Japan Covers historical, cultural and sociological issues Avoids previously essentialist and Eurocentric projections of the concept of religion
<br>