Preliminary Seminar of Religious Studies

Preliminary Seminar of Religious Studies (2nd ed.)
Eiichi Otani, Toshinori Kawamata and Yuri Inose (eds.)

210 mm x 148 mm
196 pages
JPY 1,900
ISBN 9784790717928
Pub date: April 2024

What is religion? Do I need to learn about religion? This book will show you that religion is deeply related to our lives and society. This is a hands-on introductory book that allows you to think about it on your own, with your classmate, and learn from the author’s reflections!

Points of Appeal
1) Developing religious information literacy
2) Understanding contemporary social phenomena and issues from religious contexts

Table of Contents
Introduction  Learning about religion through active learning

Part I  Let’s recapture the image of “religion”!　　

Chapter 1  How is “religion” imaged?: Religion without belief, religious information literacy, and the concept of “religion”
Chapter 2  What kind of places are temples, shrines, and churches?: Depopulation of rural areas, declining population, and social capital
Chapter 3  What are religious organizations to society? : Religious corporation law, separation of religion and state, social participation of religious organizations 

Part II  Let’s analyze your familiar religious experience!　　

Chapter 4  Why do we hold “coming-of-age” ceremonies?: Faith, identity, and rites of passage 
Chapter 5  What meanings do festivals have?: Rituals, celebrations, and community culture
Chapter 6  What do pilgrims go to the holy place for?:, holy place, world heritage, and authenticity

Part III  Let’s grasp the contested issues of modern religion!　　　　　　

Chapter 7  Can we teach life?: Attitude of tolerance, religious and cultural education, morality as a subject
Chapter 8  Should “no woman admitted” continue?: Sacred mountain, gender, patriarchy
Chapter 9  How should we face the “cult problem”?: Cults, fake solicitation, and mind control 

Part IV  Let’s think about multiculturalism from religion!

Chapter 10  Should religion be excluded from the public sphere?: Separation of religion and state, secularism, and civil religion
Chapter 11  Why is the veil a problem?: Orientalism, postcolonial, and feminism
Chapter 12  How does Japanese society deal with immigrants?: Immigration law, multicultural conviviality, ethnicity

Part V  To rethink death　　　　　　　　　

Chapter 13  Why do we visit graves?: Ancestors, post-funeral rites, double grave system 
Chapter 14  Where do we mourn the war dead?: Yasukuni issue, “memory of war”, comemoration 
Chapter 15  What do survivors want from religion?: “Psychological care,” clinical religionist, spirituality

List of references / Introduction map and video list / Afterword / Appendix / Worksheets / Index