A Religion in Death Throes: How Secrecy Undermines the Survival of a Crypto Shin Buddhist Tradition in Japan Today
Although we know that religions decline and die, we know little about what causes them to do so. This article introduces a form of underground or crypto Pure Land Buddhism that has been practiced in secret for hundreds of years in Japan but in the past 50 years has declined rapidly and may be nearin...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2010
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| In: |
Religion compass
Year: 2010, Volume: 4, Issue: 4, Pages: 202-210 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Although we know that religions decline and die, we know little about what causes them to do so. This article introduces a form of underground or crypto Pure Land Buddhism that has been practiced in secret for hundreds of years in Japan but in the past 50 years has declined rapidly and may be nearing extinction. It is argued that one of the factors that is undermining its survival is its secrecy. The article is intended to contribute to our knowledge on what can cause the decline of a religion and to our understanding of secrecy in religion, which scholars have generally regarded as providing religions benefits such as attracting new members, valorizing doctrine, and enhancing authority. |
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| ISSN: | 1749-8171 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Religion compass
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-8171.2009.00208.x |