Sign-In
Cart
Nelson: Enduring Identities Paper
Paperback
ISBN13: 9780824822590
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
Published: Mar 1 2000
Pages: 336
Weight: 1.11
Height: 0.79 Width: 6.01 Depth: 9.02
Language: English
Enduring Identities is an attempt to understand the continuing relevance of Shinto to the cultural identity of contemporary Japanese. The enduring significance of this ancient yet innovative religion is evidenced each year by the millions of Japanese who visit its shrines. They might come merely seeking a park-like setting or to make a request of the shrine's deities, asking for a marriage partner, a baby, or success at school or work; or they might come to give thanks for benefits received through the intercession of deities or to legitimate and sacralize civic and political activities.
Through an investigation of one of Japan's most important and venerated Shinto shrines, Kamo Wake Ikazuchi Jinja (more commonly Kamigamo Jinja), the book addresses what appears through Western and some Asian eyes to be an exotic and incongruous blend of superstition and reason as well as a photogenic juxtaposition of present and past. Combining theoretical sophistication with extensive fieldwork and a deep knowledge of Japan, John Nelson documents and interprets the ancient Kyoto shrine's yearly cycle of rituals and festivals, its sanctified landscapes, and the people who make it viable.
At local and regional levels, Kamigamo Shrine's ritual traditions (such as the famous Hollyhock Festival) and the strategies for their perpetuation and implementation provide points of departure for issues that anthropologists, historians, and scholars of religion will recognize as central to their disciplines. These include the formation of social memory, the role of individual agency within institutional politics, religious practice and performance, the shaping of sacred space and place, ethnic versus cultural identity, and the politics of historical representation and cultural nationalism. Nelson links these themes through a detailed ethnography about a significant place and institution, which until now has been largely closed to both Japanese and foreign scholars.
In contrast to conventional notions of ideology and institutions, he shows how a religious tradition's lack of centralized dogma, charismatic leaders, and sacred texts promotes rather than hinders a broad-based public participation with a variety of institutional agendas, most of which have very little to do with belief. He concludes that it is this structural flexibility, coupled with ample economic, human, and cultural resources, that nurtures a reworking of multiple identities--all of which resonate with the past, fully engage the present, and, with care, will endure well into the future.
Also in
Shintoism
Kojiki: Fully Revised Edition: Records of Ancient Matters (Revised and with a New Foreword)
Yasumaro, O. No
Paperback
The Illustrated Guide to Shinto: Japan's Philosophy of Nature and Man's Place in the Natural World
Nobuhiro, Shibuya
Paperback
Yasukuni Fundamentalism: Japanese Religions and the Politics of Restoration
Mullins, Mark R.
Paperback
Shinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion
Cali, Joseph
Dougill, John
Paperback
Girl, Did You Know...?: A Journey of Healing, Truth, and God's Restoration
Reeder, Kimberly
Paperback
A History of Timelessness: Constructing Authenticity at the Ise Shrines Volume 24
Sand, Jordan
Paperback
Bookmarks Coloring Book: 120 Bookmarks to Color: Coloring Activity Book for Kids, Adults and Seniors Who Love Reading
Clemens, Annie
Paperback
Making Sense of Shugendo: A Clear Introduction to Japan's Hidden Mountain Tradition
Takimoto, Jeri
Paperback
Cuevas, Manuscritos Y Revelaciones: Los Descubrimientos En El Mar Muerto, Qumrán
Pagán, Samuel
Paperback
The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Workship
Smyers, Karen A.
Paperback
A History of Timelessness: Constructing Authenticity at the Ise Shrines Volume 24
Sand, Jordan
Hardcover
True Bushido Spoken By Ame-no-Mioya-Gami: The Japanese Father God Teaches how we should live and die
Okawa, Ryuho
Paperback
SHINTO Summarized: Kami, Nature, and the Sacred Wisdom of Japan's Ancient Spiritual Traditions
Kade, Devon
Paperback
Wabi Sabi: The Beauty of an Imperfect Life, The Zen Art of Living Inspired by Japanese Philosophy
Sato, Takashi
Paperback
Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samura
Musashi, Miyamoto
Tsunetomo, Yamamoto
Nitobe, Inazo
Paperback
Practical Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want (Health, Wealth, and Love)
Whitley, Nick
Paperback
Japanese Understanding of Salvation: Soteriology in the Context of Japanese Animism
Heißwolf, Martin
Paperback
The Way of the Dokkōdō: 42 stories for a life of virtue and honor, inspired by the samurai precepts and the teachings of Miyamoto Musashi
Zen, Lotus
Kasewa, Tomoko
Paperback
Miwa - Der Heilige Trank: Zur Geschichte Und Religiosen Bedeutung Des Alkoholischen Getranks (Sake) in Japan
Antoni, Klaus
Paperback
The World of Japanese Mythology: Ancient Stories, Folktales, Spiritual Beings, and Cultural Heritage
Torbert, Sidney K.
Paperback
How to Analyze People: Understanding the Human Psychology, Human Behavior, Reading People, and Their Body Language
Franz, Lawrence
Paperback
Japanese Mythology: Mysteries and Wonders of Ancient Japan: Tales of Gods and Legendary Creatures
Magna, Aula
Hardcover
Kami and Creation: A Comprehensive Guide to Japanese Mythology: Explore the Divine Spirits and Myths of Shinto
Carter, Emily
Paperback
Reiki Healing for Beginners: Improve Your Health, Increase Your Energy and Raise Your Vibration
Edwin, J. P.
Paperback
Ganbatte: The Japanese Path of Perseverance and Resilience to Overcome Life's Challenges
Fujimoto, Ryota
Paperback
Japanese Understanding of Salvation: Soteriology in the Context of Japanese Animism
Heißwolf, Martin
Hardcover
Immortal Wishes: Labor and Transcendence on a Japanese Sacred Mountain
Schattschneider, Ellen
Paperback
In the Presence of Gods and Spirits: Hirata Atsutane and His Collaborators Volume 104
Walthall, Anne
Hardcover
Le monde japonais des fantômes et des démons Mythes et légendes dans la croyance populaire japonaise
Candahashi, Hermann
Paperback
Kokugaku in Meiji-Period Japan: The Modern Transformation of 'National Learning' and the Formation of Scholarly Societies
Wachutka, Michael
Hardcover
In the Presence of Gods and Spirits: Hirata Atsutane and His Collaborators Volume 104
Walthall, Anne
Paperback
Mono no Aware: Enchanting Transience - Embracing the Beauty of Life's Fleeting Moments
Kaito, Yumiko
Paperback
Japanese Mythology: Mysteries and Wonders of Ancient Japan: Tales of Gods and Legendary Creatures
Magna, Aula
Paperback
Primary Sources, Historical Collections: The Shinto Cult: A Christian Study of the Ancient Religion of Japan, With a Foreword by T. S. Wentworth
Terry, Milton Spenser
Paperback
Rōmons in Shinto Shrines: The Past and the Present of Majestic Two-Storied Gates in Japan
Hosler, Akiko S.
Paperback
Japanese folklore and Yokai: The Hi no Tama, stories and legends of spirits in Japan
Tembouret, Kévin
Paperback
Practical Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want (Health, Wealth, and Love)
Whitley, Nick
Hardcover
Norito: A Translation of the Ancient Japanese Ritual Prayers - Updated Edition
Philippi, Donald L.
Paperback
Reiki: The Definitive Guide: Increase Energy, Improve Health and Feel Great with Reiki Healing
Cillihypi, Sacha
Paperback
Good Vibes And Mindfulness Coloring Book for Adults: Motivate your life with Positive Words (Inspirational Quotes)
Adult Coloring Book
Paperback
Founding Territorial Cults in Early Japan: Traces of a Forgotten Ritual in Ancient Myths and Legends
Domenig, G.
Hardcover
Handbook Of The Old Shrines And Temples And Their Treasures In Japan (1920)
Bureau of Religions
Paperback
The Replica Of The Ark Of The Covenant In Japan: The Mystery of MiFune-Shiro
Cho, Gene Jinsiong
Paperback
The Replica of the Ark of the Covenant in Japan: The Mystery of Mifune-Shiro
Cho, Gene Jinsiong
Hardcover
The God Susanoo and Korea in Japan's Cultural Memory: Ancient Myths and Modern Empire
Weiss, David
Paperback
The God Susanoo and Korea in Japan's Cultural Memory: Ancient Myths and Modern Empire
Weiss, David
Hardcover
The Political Philosophy of Modern Shinto, a Study of the State Religion of Japan ..
Holtom, Daniel Clarence
Hardcover