Japanese Religions (1038)
Course Description (link to syllabus)
This is an introductory course to Japanese religions including Shinto, Buddhism, Christianity, and New Religions. The course offers a synchronic and diachronic picture of Japanese religions. Firstly, discussing overviews of each religion by surveying myths, beliefs, and rituals; students should understand a way of life and mentality of contemporary Japanese religions. Secondly, it moves to a session of “Japanese Religions in History”, which guides students to grasp their significance under social and political context. During the course, we compare Japanese religions with world religions including Christianity to get comparative perspective of religion. Taught in English. Fulfills MLO 2 and 5.
This is an introductory course to Japanese religions including Shinto, Buddhism, Christianity, and New Religions. The course offers a synchronic and diachronic picture of Japanese religions. Firstly, discussing overviews of each religion by surveying myths, beliefs, and rituals; students should understand a way of life and mentality of contemporary Japanese religions. Secondly, it moves to a session of “Japanese Religions in History”, which guides students to grasp their significance under social and political context. During the course, we compare Japanese religions with world religions including Christianity to get comparative perspective of religion. Taught in English. Fulfills MLO 2 and 5.
Reflective Narrative
This course focused on the history and significance of certain religions in Japan from ancient to modern times. The class began with an explanation of the myths of the formation of Japan and the various Kami that are believed to inhabit both natural and man-made objects as seen in Shinto beliefs. We then moved on to the introduction of Buddhism to Japan, Folk Religions, New Religions, and Christianity. My classmates and I were also lucky enough to visit a few religiously important locations during a class field trip including Tenrikyu's Headquarters located in Nara home of the Tenrikyu religion, one of Japan's New Religions. Our final consisted of a 20-30 minute presentation, in English, of a specific religion, mine having been Shinto, example 1. One of the most memorable sessions was the one in which we learned about a new religion, perhaps more frankly a cult, called Aum Shinrikyo that gained infamy after its followers released sarin, a highly toxic nerve gas, into five trains in the Tokyo subway system killing 13 and injuring as many as 1,000 or more commuters, the most serious attack on Japan since the U.S. dropped the atom bombs. Never before had I been exposed to the idea of a doomsday cult in Japan as their culture is presented as such a harmonious one. It's fascinating to see how religions, even a cult such as Aum Shinrikyo, have such strong effects on us either bringing us together or tearing us apart. Japanese religions are no exception.
(EXAMPLE 1) Japanese Religions Shinto Presentation |