Book/Printed Material Dynamism and the ageing of a Japanese 'new' religion : transformations and the founder

Title

• Dynamism and the ageing of a Japanese 'new' religion : transformations and the founder

Summary

• "This book examines the trajectory and development of the Japanese religious movement, Agonshu, commonly portrayed in Japan as a 'new religion', 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 a period of stagnation, until its response to the 2016 death of its founder. Via an in-depth profile of Agonshu and the pivotal role of Kiriyama Seiyu as founder, the authors examine and critique the concept of 'new religions', and discuss the nature and significance of charisma, charismatic leadership and religious entrepreneurship. The book discusses the 'democratisation' of practice and the demands made by movements such as Agonshu on members, while examining how a movement that developed in Japan has expressed seemingly universal concepts while becoming increasingly focused on revisionist nationalism and issues of Japanese identity. In examining the dilemma religions commonly face on the deaths of charismatic founders, Baffelli and Reader look at Agonshu's response to Kiriyama's death, how and why it has transformed a human founder into a figure of worship, and how, through such founder veneration, it has become increasingly normative in Japanese contexts. By examining Agonshu in the wider context, the authors draw attention to the importance of understanding the trajectories of 'new' religions and how they can become 'old' even within their first generation"-- Provided by publisher.

Names

• Baffelli, Erica, 1976- author
• Reader, Ian, 1949- editor

Created / Published

• London ; New York : Bloomsbury Academic, 2019.

Contents

• Situating Agonshu : the concept of 'new religions' in modern Japan -- The story of a religious founder : Kiriyama Seiyu, turmoil, charisma and experience -- Teaching as practice : ritual, benefits and the costs of devotion -- From the world to Japan : the nationalism of an ageing movement -- Transcending death : the birth and spiritual messages of the second Buddha -- Concluding comments : founder worship and the problem of the 'new'.

Headings

• -  Kiriyama, Seiyū,--1921-2016
• -  Agonshū
• -  Buddhism--Japan--Doctrines
• -  Japan--Religion

Notes

• -  Includes bibliographical references and index.
• -  Description based on print version record; resource not viewed.

Medium

• 1 electronic resource (203 pages )

Call Number/Physical Location

• BQ9800.A362

Digital Id

• https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gdc/gdcebookspublic.2021758493

Library of Congress Control Number

• 2021758493

Rights Advisory

• Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/legalcode External

Access Advisory

• Unrestricted online access

Online Format

• image
• pdf

LCCN Permalink

• https://lccn.loc.gov/2021758493

Additional Metadata Formats

• MARCXML Record
• MODS Record
• Dublin Core Record