Description
A Cultural History of Japanese Buddhism offers a comprehensive, nuanced, and chronological account of the evolution of Buddhist religion in Japan from the sixth century to the present day.
- Traces each period of Japanese history to reveal the complex and often controversial histories of Japanese Buddhists and their unfolding narratives
- Examines relevant social, political, and transcultural contexts, and places an emphasis on Japanese Buddhist discourses and material culture
- Addresses the increasing competition between Buddhist, Shinto, and Neo-Confucian world-views through to the mid-nineteenth century
- Informed by the most recent research, including the latest Japanese and Western scholarship
- Illustrates the richness and complexity of Japanese Buddhism as a lived religion, offering readers a glimpse into the development of this complex and often misunderstood tradition
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations vii
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
1 Early Historical Contexts (Protohistory to 645) 13
2 Ancient Buddhism (645–950) 45
3 Early Medieval Buddhism (950–1300): The Dawn of Medieval Society and Related Changes in Japanese Buddhist Culture 87
4 Late Medieval Buddhism (1300–1467): New Buddhisms, Buddhist Learning, Dissemination and the Fall into Chaos 135
5 Buddhism and the Transition to the Modern Era (1467–1800) 171
6 Modern Buddhism (1800–1945) 209
7 Buddhism Since 1945 231
Character Glossary 255
Index 287
