Practically Religious: Worldly Benefits and the Common Religion of JapanPraying for practical benefits (genze riyaku) is a common religious activity in Japan. Despite its widespread nature and the vast numbers of people who pray and purchase amulets and talismans for everything from traffic safety and education success to business prosperity and protection from disease, the practice has been virtually ignored in academic studies or relegated to the margins as a uh_product of superstition or an aberration from the true dynamics of religion. Basing their work on a fusion of textual, ethnographic, historical, and contemporary studies, the authors of this volume demonstrate the fallacy of such views, showing that, far from being marginal, the concepts and practices surrounding genze riyaku lie at the very heart of the Japanese religious world. They thrive not only as popular religious expression but are supported by the doctrinal structures of most Buddhist sects, are ordained in religious scriptures, and are promoted by monastic training centers, shrines, and temples. |
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... affirmed the positive nature of this religion , and listening to testimonies from members who told of practical benefits they had received as a result of their religious devotion , Michiko be- came convinced that this was a religion ...
... affirming the close relationship between faith and the acquisi- tion of practical benefits.38 The Shintō Kotohirakyō ... affirmed in doctrinal terms in various religious organizations as well through textual traditions . It is , as we ...
... affirming the centrality of genze riyaku , we are arguing that Japanese religion in general is governed by a world - affirming reli- gious viewpoint . This does not mean that we are disregarding the im- portance of various ideas and ...
... affirmed , the result of faith , and the sect's doctrine thus links faith and benefits together . The doctrines of Ichibata Yakushi Kyōdan as set out in the organization's registration as a religious cor- poration under the Religious ...
... affirming , the nomenclature and indeed the scope of Pye's “ primal religion ” are problematic . The term " primal , " indicating the primitive , is fraught with pejorative mean- ings . In anthropological studies of religion it is ...
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Practically Religious: Worldly Benefits and the Common Religion of Japan Ian Reader,George J. Tanabe No preview available - 1998 |