Descrição
Clark Chilson’s study of secretive practices in lay pure land Buddhist confraternities opens up new vistas in studies of religion in Japan and of religious secrecy in general.
It enhances our knowledge of a major Buddhist tradition and makes us rethink how we have thus far conceptualized the Shin tradition by demonstrating how lay adherents can create different narratives from priestly hierarchies.
Furthermore it adds to our understanding of secrecy as a concept in religious terms by using Japanese examples to make serious contributions to the study of secrecy and to the ways in which secrecy valorizes those who engage in its use, and by showing how such valorisation is dependent on the social contexts in which secrecy occurs.
As such this book is essential reading for anyone interested in studies of Buddhism and of lay religious practices in Japan, and in studies of secrecy in religious contexts