Free Delivery Over $100
|
|
|||
|
||||
Overview“This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. This book examines the trajectory and development of the Japanese religious movement Agonshu and its charismatic founder Kiriyama Seiyu. Based on field research spanning 30 years, it examines Agonshu from when it first captured attention in the 1980s with its spectacular rituals and use of media technologies, through its period of stagnation to its response to the death of its founder in 2016. The authors discuss the significance of charismatic leadership, the 'democratisation' of practice and the demands made by movements such as Agonshu on members, while examining how the movement became increasingly focused on revisionist nationalism and issues of Japanese identity. In examining the dilemma that religions commonly face on the deaths of charismatic founders, Erica Baffelli and Ian Reader look at Agonshu’s response to Kiriyama's death, looking at how and why it has transformed a human founder into a figure of worship. By examining Agonshu in the wider context, the authors critically examine the concept of ‘new religions’. They draw attention to the importance of understanding the trajectories of 'new' religions and how they can become ‘old’ even within their first generation. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Erica Baffelli (The University of Manchester, UK) , Ian Reader (The University of Manchester, UK)Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic Weight: 0.446kg ISBN: 9781350086517ISBN 10: 1350086517 Pages: 216 Publication Date: 13 December 2018 Audience: College/higher education , Tertiary & Higher Education Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: Manufactured on demand  We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier. Table of ContentsList of Figures Acknowledgements Note on Japanese names, terms and transliteration Introduction 1. Situating Agonshu: the concept of 'new religions' in modern Japan 2. The story of a religious founder: Kiriyama Seiyu, turmoil, charisma and experience 3. Teaching as practice: ritual, benefits and the costs of devotion 4. From the world to Japan: the nationalism of an ageing movement 5. Transcending death: the birth and spiritual messages of the second Buddha 6. Concluding comments: founder worship and the problem of the 'new' Notes References IndexReviewsThe first longitudinal study of a Japanese new religious movement, Dynamism and the Ageing of a Japanese `New' Religion, by Ian Reader and Erica Baffelli, is a superb study of Agonshu that sets a new standard of excellence. Based on thirty years of research, it documents the history of an influential religion, contextualizing Agonshu within the broader issues of Japanese religious life and social change. Highly recommended. * Helen Hardacre, Edwin O. Reischauer Institute Professor of Japanese Religions and Society, Harvard University, USA * This book offers a fascinating portrayal of the Japanese Buddhist organization Agonshu with a focus on its founder. For students, it is an engaging introduction to Japan's so-called new religions . For scholars, it is the best book to date for understanding religious leadership in contemporary Japan and for showing us the problems with characterizing a religion as new . * Clark Chilson, Associate Professor of Religion Studies, University of Pittsburgh, USA * Both authors, who have co-worked already successfully on a couple of topics, are a perfect match for this particular publication. [...] A highly recommendable monograph on a rather recent development in the Japanese religious landscape with additional interest in general questions in Religious Studies and the Sociology of Religions. An excellent and inspiring publication! * Franz Winter, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of Graz, Austria. * Author InformationErica Baffelli is Senior Lecturer in Japanese Studies at The University of Manchester, UK. She is co-editor of the forthcoming Bloomsbury Handbook of Japanese Religions (2019) and her most recent book is Media and New Religions in Japan (2016). Ian Reader is Professor Emeritus at The University of Manchester, UK. He is the author or co-author of ten books and co-editor of several volumes. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
||||
