Series | Ca’ Foscari Japanese Studies
Monograph | Religion, Education, and the ‘East’
Chapter | 3 • Japanese and Other East Asian Religious Traditions

3 • Japanese and Other East Asian Religious Traditions

Two Challenges

Abstract

This chapter aims to show and discuss why Japanese other East Asian religions cannot be adequately understood by relying on modern, Euro-centric and Christian-centric conceptualizations of religion. It addresses both epistemological and historical facets of this problem. The former refers to the discrepancy between Euro-centric idea of religion, focused on the individual adhesion of a set of beliefs, and various historical and ethnographical data on Japanese and East Asian religions. The latter refers to the historical legacy of colonial and global dynamics which further hinders the awareness of such discrepancy.


Open access | Peer reviewed

Published May 3, 2023 | Language: en


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