K. M. University, India Christianity in the Land of Santhals: a study of Resistance and Acceptance in Historical Perspective(03U)
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Fujii, Masao Taisho University, Japan Buddhist Ritual Structure and Folkloric Beliefs(06P) We have received Buddhism in 538 from Korea, which had already traveled across the continental China and India and was transformed in their folkloric beliefs and ritual behavior. Therefore, Japanese Buddhism represents a two or threefold amalgamated structure. The structure of Buddhist ritual in modern Japan is composed of three basic phases: 1) inviting the Buddha, 2) holding a memorial service for the dead and prayer for the peaceful life in future of the living together, 3) and sending off the Buddha courteously. This ritual structure parallels the types of warm hospitality given to a guest in daily life in Japan. This is why the idea of individual relief in Buddhism was transformed into that of social welfare and prayer for good harvest among Japanese villagers. Herewith I present the connection between Japanese folkloric beliefs and the structure of Buddhist ritual in modern Japan. Organized panel, English
Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Japan "Otherness" in Modern Iranian Nationalist Discourses(10O) Iranian nationalist thinkers after the mid-19th century frequently adopted anti-Arab discourses in relation to the necessity of urgent reforms of their state and society. It must be noticed that their "chauvinistic" anti-Arab discourses, attributable in particular to the decline of Modern Iran to the 7th Arab occupation of the country, exerted a great influence upon Iranian thinkers and writers tinted with nationalist tendency in the 1930s. I will examine, in the framework of the constructing process of modern "selfhood," the actualities of the so-called "Arab" expressed as the symbols of the "otherness" for them to overcome, thereby attempting to reconsider some uniqueness in their discourses as well as historical problems for Iranian nationalist thinkers. Organized panel, English
Shukutoku University, Japan Japanese Buddhist Activities and Social Welfare after the War(07P) *roundtable Roundtable session, Japanese
Niigata Seiryo University, Japan Three Viewpoints on Nature and Humanity in Gerbert's "Historia Nigrae Silvae"(17T) Erasmus of Rotterdam's rare book of circa 1527, complete with his handwritten margin notes, has recently been discovered, along with Martin Gerbert's "Histora Nigrae Silvae" (History of the Black Forest), in the library of the Oberried Monastery in the Black Forest region of Germany. In the same meticulous way a detective might go about solving a mystery, Gerbert bases his statements on research of enormous ancient tomes, archaeological finds, historical documents, and a variety of bibliographical references. He reconstructs the history of the Black Forest and concludes that it is also the history of the monasteries of the Benedictine Order. I will discuss the three viewpoints Gerbert utilizes in his interpretation of history -- suffering, loss, and the frontier -- and, finally, touch upon what is brought about by the concept of frontier as the root of contention in the world and in territorial disputes. Organized panel, English
Association of Shinto Shirines, Japan The Establishment, Extinction and Revival of Shinto-Shrines within Hansen's Disease's Medical Treatment Facilities(11V) At present, there are examples of Hansen's disease sanatoriums with a Shinto shrine, a Buddhist temple, or a Christian church among the 15 Hansen's disease sanatoriums in Japan. Among these examples, some Shinto shrines had been established before the end of the Second World War, but were practically abolished under the influence of the Shinto Directive, which ordered the separation of the government and Shinto. However, from 1954, as a part of social welfare activities for Hansen's disease sanatoriums, the National Pietistic Woman's Joint Association, a related organization of the Association of Shinto Shrines, reestablished a Shinto shrine in Tama-zenshoen national sanatorium in Tokyo, and in the next year, they newly established a Shinto shrine in Suruga sanatorium in Shizuoka Prefecture. This presentation will reveal historical facts of the establishment, extinction, and revival of Nagayo jinja, which was established within Tama-zenshoen in 1934. Moreover, in comparison with other religious facilities in other sanatoriums, this presentation will try to clarify a part of social welfare activities by Shinto-related bodies and individuals of the post war era, and propose some consideration on the roles and characteristics of Shinto shrines within Hansen's disease facilitates. Organized panel, English
Keio University, Japan Christianity in Taiwan for the Study of Folk Religion: the Case of the True Jesus Church(08O) The number of Christians in Taiwan is the second largest, following the number of Taoists, which is the largest. Christianity in Taiwan has only been studied from the view of the history of mission, not from the study of folk religion. In this presentation, I want to approach this as the study of folk religion. For this purpose, I intend to do this study by paying attention on how the citizens construct Christianity in the social context. As an example for this study, I will use the True Jesus Church. This is a proper case for this study since this Church was born in mainland China and grew in Taiwan after World War II. As a result, I focus on the aspect of the healing which citizens accept, and describe how they construct Christianity in a social context. Organized panel, Japanese
Seigakuin University, Japan 'Theology of Japan' in the Age of Nationalism and Ethnocentricism(04A) Contextualisation and the development of local theologies are much discussed in the contemporary theological world. 'Theology of Japan,' however, is not simply a contextualisation of western theology into a Japanese soil. It is rather an attempt theologically to discuss the problems of Japan. It involves not only a theological critique of Japanese culture and religions, including Christianity, but also a constructive formation of culture and Christian faith. These tasks correspond to the prophetic and priestly functions of the church, respectively. My presentation shall focus on the latter. We have already been witnessing nationalism, ethnocentrism, and the problems of the war in the 21st century. Christianity often reinforces nationalism where Christian influence is strong. We have not yet seen, for instance, a full-scale critique of British imperialism or Korean nationalism by their native theologians. 'Theology of Japan' involves a critique of Japanese nationalism. This project also is applicable to other religious traditions. Organized panel
Japan Soceity for the Promotion of Science, Japan The Development of Groups within/out of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Malta: On the Specialization and Reorganization of the Movement(03U) The purpose of this paper, through focusing on a case study, is to examine the process of specialization and reorganization in the Maltese Catholic Charismatic Renewal. In 2004, there were some 75 groups in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Malta. Each group usually consists of one male leader and members numbering from the tens to the hundreds. Their main activity is a weekly prayer meeting, while in some groups, practices such as "anti-Black Mass," "Healing Services," or "Eucharistic Adoration" take place according to the orientation of their leaders. These practices lead to the gradual independence of such groups, or in some cases, their breaking away from the main Charismatic Movement. In this presentation, through employing an anthropological perspective, I intend to discuss various aspects of this phenomenon of differentiation within the movement. Organized panel, English
Taisho University, Japan Possibilities of Religious Education in Secular Schools(02D) In the present world where religion plays a large part in social issues, religious teaching has become a major concern. While the word "religious education" has several meanings, what is keenly discussed today is non-confessional teaching at secular institutions (here "secular" indicates state-funded schools, non-sectarian private colleges, etc.). Such religious education, which in English, is often called "teaching about religion" or "study of religion/religious studies," is said to serve inter/multicultural education, citizenship education, values education and some other important purposes. This panel starts by introducing the current state of religious education in Japan and then discusses the possibilities and the methodologies of religious education at secular institutions through international comparison. Japan, where many consider themselves to be non-religious and where monotheistic religions are minorities, will provide an interesting case for comparison with England and other countries/areas where religious education has a long history in publicly funded schools. (* IAHR-UNU (United Nations University) special joint session "Religion and Education Panel") Organized panel, * Session Abstract
Taisho University, Japan Religion and Higher Education in Japan: A Survey Report(02D) This paper reports on the survey result of "Religious Studies in Japanese Undergraduate Curricula (2002)." Since religion is nearly entirely excluded from school curricula in Japanese public education, colleges, for most students, are the first places where they can learn about religions and religious studies substantially. Ironically, such undergraduate programs of religion have recently been downsized due to economic difficulties. The situation is especially critical, given that religion is gaining more and more attention worldwide and teaching about religion is a major public role that scholars of religion can undertake for an increasingly diversified society. Against such a background, this survey gives, for the first time, the hard data about undergraduate curricula in which the study of religion is a central focus. The data will be analyzed from a comparative perspective to assist discussions with international panelists and audiences. Organized panel
Taisho University, Japan Religious Education and Peace(03D) Does religion contribute to peace or war? In order to answer this basic question, it is essential to reflect upon religious education that shapes the views of religion among young generations. This panel highlights the relationships between religious education and peace. Panelists from Africa, Asia and Western countries report on the kinds of religious education used for peace education that is attempted or needed, in their respective societies faced with tensions and conflicts. While religious organizations such as World Conference of Religion for Peace have recently been making progress in peace construction through religious education, the issue is not confined to religious communities. The prejudices of non-religious people against religion can also cause conflicts. Therefore, this panel will be based upon developing the discussion of the first panel on religious education in secular schools for students with various religious and cultural backgrounds.(* IAHR-UNU (United Nations University) special joint session "Religion and Education Panel") Organized panel, * Session Abstract
Taisho University, Japan Revisiting the Concept of Religion(04K) *respondent Organized panel
Seigakuin University, Japan 'Theology of Japan' as Public Theology(04A) One of the characteristics of modern religious situation is privatised faith. Critique of religion by the Enlightenment thought stripped religion of its social function, and ordered it out of the public arena. Theology, likewise, was excluded from scientific scholarship, and lost the floor. Theology became the matter of personal taste, or the discussion of particular denominational creeds, or even coded discussion of the secret society. Thus it, like the appendix, lost its raison deter in the modern society. However, theology originally was far from such a modern appearance. It had a social function as 'public theology.' It must, however, be noted that there are two types of 'public theology.' One is patronised the government such as the theology of Adolf von Harnack in Germany. The other is to relativise the nation and to enable one to work out a policy as Reinhold Niebuhr attempted in Irony of American History. I shall propose the possibility for 'Theology of Japan' to develop the latter kind of public theology. Organized panel
Seigakuin University, Japan Globalization and a 'Theology of Japan'(04A) This organized panel will examine the nature of the academic discipline of theology in Japan that reflects the contemporary world trend of globalization. The 'theology of Japan' that we shall discuss is neither a Japanese theology as the opposite end of globalization nor a theology based on Japanese nationalism. It is rather a study that deals with 'Japan' as an object of theological inquiry. How could such a theology be possible? What are its characteristics? What kind of theology is necessary in the current Japanese situation? These are the questions that we attempt to answer. In order effectively to discuss these problems, this panel will host presentations from scholars of various backgrounds. It will include three Japanese theologians and one theologian each from the United States and South Korea. Organized panel, * Session Abstract
Kanto Gakuin University, Japan Internet Use by the Followers of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism(16T) The Internet is having considerable impact on Jodo Shinshu, the biggest Buddhist denomination in Japan. To investigate this impact, I conducted a questionnaire survey among 400 Jodo Shinshu followers. I will report the following results. Firstly, those followers who use the Internet actively for religious matters tend to be very active also in attending services at their temples. Secondly, they show a more conservative attitude towards Buddhist doctrine. Underlying these results, I focus on the feature of the Internet as a Sending media. Before the Internet, ordinary followers didn't have a Sending media. They only received the Buddhist doctrine from charismatic priests. After the Internet, ordinary followers now have the chance to send messages also. But they have no ability to send an innovative message. Rather they have only conservative doctrinal messages to send, based on their experience. I think this is why the followers who use the Internet show a more conservative tendency. Organized panel, English
Omi Brotherhood Senior High School, Japan A Re-examination of Ethnic Identity of Japanese Americans: - An Approach from Japanese Christian Churches-(09I) This study is a re-examination of what I investigated in my master's thesis at California State University Long Beach in 2001. The purpose of this study is to investigate how ethnic identity of Japanese Americans is formed and how it is transformed in the multicultural society of the United States. I focus on Japanese Christian churches as social and cultural institutions and examine their roles in the formation of ethnic identities of Japanese Americans. Throughout the questionnaire research in three Japanese Christian churches in the Los Angeles area and the literature review, it became clear that each individual creates an ethnic identity by choosing various socio-cultural factors and that these churches function as organizations to preserve Japanese language and culture and not to foster Japanese assimilation into American mainstream culture. I will re-examine the roles of these churches in the multicultural environment toward more diverse changes in the 21st century. Organized panel, Japanese
Hitotsubashi University, Japan Reconsidering German Traditions in the Study of Religion(02K) *respondent Organized panel
Hitotsubashi University, Japan Rethinking the History and Theory of the Study of Religion(16R) *chairperson Organized panel
Hitotsubashi University, Japan The Future of Religion: The Topos of the Intellectual Construction of Religion – Simmel and Anesaki on the Future Shape of Religion(16R) There is currently a widely shared scholarly understanding that empirical studies of religion should refrain from engaging in normative predictions about religion. However, the themes of the "future of religion" and the "religion of the future" are among the most popular themes in the modern study of religion. Particularly from the mid-19th century up to the end of the Second World War, during a period where the self-evident nature of religion was slowly disappearing in society while modernity itself was still in formation, the theme of the "future of religion" was a favorite topic in the intellectual inquiry into religion. In this paper, I discuss two cases from two different traditions, namely those of Georg Simmel, one of the pioneers of the sociology of religion, and Masaharu Anesaki, the founder of religious studies in Japan. By analyzing and comparing their discourses on the future of religion, I intend to point out the common issues with which scholars of religion during that period were confronted and how differing socio-cultural conditions led to different visions of what form religion would take in the future. Organized panel, English
King's College, University of London, UK Millenarianism amongst Japanese New Religions with Special Reference to Kofuku-no-Kagaku - The Institute for Research in Human Happiness.(16P) Kofuku-no-Kagaku, established in 1986, has consistently claimed its objectives to be soul-training and the creation of, what it calls The Buddha-land Utopia. This means an Ideal World on earth where everyone practises the Truth. Followers believe that this lifetime is the greatest opportunity to achieve their objectives under the guidance of their leader Ryuho Okawa, considered to be the incarnation of Buddha and the Grand Divine Spirit, El Cantare. Its concept of transforming the world, because the present world is understood to be in a state of crisis, can be defined as a form of millenarianism in a sociological sense. Some researchers suggest that almost all (if not all) Japanese new religions are millenarian. In this paper I look at whether Kofuku-no-Kagaku, which came into existence in the middle of an economic boom in Japan, is millenarian or not, and if it is, in what ways it can be said to be so. Organized panel, English
International Research Forum on SAARC, Japan Growth of Hindu Sacred Site in an Indian Village, From Locality to Pan-India Frame: A study of Hanuman Mandir, Jaunpur (U.P.)(01L) Most of the Hindu pilgrimage centres has a long history and religious continuity. Recently, North Indian rural society shown a marked tendency of developing new pilgrimage centre as mark of Hindu revival and integrity! This paper deals with a new Hindu pilgrimage centre, Hanuman Gali Mandir (Jaunpur District, Uttar Pradesh), and details out the development process and the socio-anthropological implications. This temple has been projected, planned and constructed by the rural people. Although the site has no connections with any religious history and legend, people believed this Mandir as the site where the Lord Rama has spent one night during his sacred journey. Today, the Mandir is one of the famous pilgrimage centres in surrounding areas, attracting a large mass of people for rituals and devotional singing. Such development strongly demonstrates the nature of religious mind of rural people and the impact of Hindu revival and integrity for strong identity. Organized panel, English
Shinsyu Otani-ha / Higashi Honganji Temple, Japan Buddhism and Modernity in Nineteenth Century Japan(10M) The main theme of our panel is to consider the transformation of religious thought and culture in Japan during a time of radical social and cultural change that occurred between the last years of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. The religious thought in this period has been studied only in the context of the modernization theory. However, we can also examine it from other perspectives. Our focus of argument here will be on Buddhism in Meiji Japan. Beginning with a paper on the modern reformation of the funeral system, we shall then introduce the works of representative Buddhist thinkers of this period, that is, Sada Kaiseki, Inoue Enryo, and Kiyozawa Manshi. The reconstruction of the funeral system as a modern cremation style was also a starting point for the transformation of Buddhism from a folk religious tradition to a "religion." We shall therefore investigate the various aspects of modernity and the construction of Buddhism as a religion from the perspective of featuring Buddhism as a key concept. Organized panel, * Session Abstract, Japanese
Shinsyu Otani-ha / Higashi Honganji Temple, Japan Japanese Buddhism at the Turning Point of the Century: Kiyozawa Manshi's Studies of Modern Civilization and Religion(10M) The main theme of this paper is to introduce the religious belief of Kiyozawa Manshi (1863-1903) who was a Buddhist priest and at the same time a leading Japanese philosopher during the 30s of the Meiji period. By focusing on Kiyozawa's religious thought, I shall consider the characteristics of Japanese thought at the turning point of the century. His criticisms of modern civilization and science are highly useful to study Japanese society, thought, and culture at the time when the modernization of Japanese society as "Westernization" started to be questioned. What kind of logic did Kiyozawa adopt to relativize the idea of "modernization"? What kind of religious truth did he actually reach? I would like to locate his radical Buddhist faith in the streams of Buddhist thought and Japanese thought at that time. Moreover, I shall investigate the role of Buddhist thought in Japanese society and culture during this period. Organized panel, Japanese
DePauw University, USA Sweeping the Religious Marketplace: Creating and Contesting Vaisnava Orthodoxy in Nineteenth Century Bengal(12E) In nineteenth-century Bengal Kedarnath Datta Bhaktivinode utilized emerging technologies and "Western" inspired institutions in order to recover and re-appropriate an "imagined" Vaisnava heritage which provided an alternative to both the Christianity of the British missionaries as well as the secularist modernizing agenda of the colonial bureaucratic establishment. Vaisnavism in Bengal during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries had developed an unfortunate but widespread image as a degenerate and disreputable form of religion. Colonial missionaries saw in it the paradigmatic expression of Hindu licentiousness and degradation. Local Brahmins and those of privileged social status considered it to be an aberrant variation on traditional caste Hinduism. So too, Vaisnavism found itself under attack from the proponents of post-Enlightenment rationalism (indigenous and exogenous) who chose to deem all but the most "modern" and ratiocinative forms of religion to be anachronistic and regressive. This paper addresses several key areas where imported technologies were utilized for indigenous purposes by the opportunistic Bhaktivinode Thakur who in turn effected a significant change in the extant tradition of Gaudiya Vaisnavism by aiming to reverse the unfavorable perception of Vaisnavism and retrieving the tradition from its marginalized status. Organized panel, English
University of Tokyo, Japan Spiritual Care in the Context of Medicine and Social Welfare(05B) Spirituality is often represented as the fourth pillar of palliative care. Increasingly, health care professionals are focusing on spirituality and health. Holistic models of cancer and palliative care frequently refer to spirituality as an important element. And furthermore, the term spiritual care continually leaps to our eyes today. For example, nursing programs and nursing literature are addressing patients' spiritual interests and such topics as spiritual care, spiritual assessment, and spiritual distress. So, what do they mean when they talk about spirituality and how do they provide spiritual care for suffering people? Religion is a difficult subject for any medical context in contemporary societies despite the religious roots of the care of the dying. In my presentation, I speak about the spiritual care scene in Japan, comparing to the relative situations in the world. To examine this difficult and important issue, I wedge my way into both historical and practical aspects. Symposium, English
University of Tokyo, Japan Social Welfare, Hospital Chaplaincy and Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Movement(10V) In its history of eighty years, the clinical pastoral education (CPE) movement has provided contributions to theological education and pastoral care in US. Many articles state that CPE's genesis was assisted by some of the prevailing influences in that particular era. The development of social welfare system is quite one of the bases in the advance of CPE although it has been less represented in previous studies. The history of CPE suggests us what the role of religion in societies is. And it also points out some ways of inter religious cooperation related to well being of people. I examine how CPE as the association of hospital chaplaincy closely related to the history of social welfare in US, comparing to the history of religion and social welfare in Japan. It will be my answer to the question whether the system like CPE would be enrooted in Japan or not. Organized panel
University of Tokyo, Japan Engaged Buddhism in Japan(11E) *respondent Organized panel, English
University of Tokyo, Japan Religions and Care in Medical Contexts: The Comparative Studies of Spiritual Care beyond Cultures(12J) The term spiritual care in medical contexts today refers to take care of spiritual needs of anyone in any cultures. Theoretically yes, but how is it in reality? This panel intends to focus on religions (both traditional and new, including spirituality of individuals) and care in medical contexts beyond cultures. So many suffering and injured people are living with strong needs of spiritual care in the world today. We have to reach for such people if we would like to take care of them. However, it should be done without violating their religious and spiritual dignity. How would it be possible in cross-cultural situations? We have to wedge our way into both historical and practical aspects to solve this difficult and important puzzle. The presenters of this panel will deal with these issues while giving specific examples of historical facts in articles and fields, or cases in practical situations. Organized panel, * Session Abstract, English
Hokke Sect Jinmonryu, Japan A Study of The Honjyaku Theory --The Theory of the Fundamental Aspect (Hommon) and the Manifestation Doctrine (Shakumon) of the Lotus Sutra in Nichiren Buddhism(08L) A Study of the Honjyaku Theory (The Theory of the Fundamental Aspect (hommon) and the Manifestation Doctrine (shakumon) of the Lotus Stura) in Nichiren Buddhism Many Nichiren orders now exist in Japan. The main cause of this factionalization is pointed out to be the dissimilarity of views in "the Theory of the Hommon and Shakumon Sections of the Lotus Sutra." This study considers this point from various perspectives. Organized panel, Japanese
University of Jos, Nigeria Storms of Faith on the Jos Plateau since the 19th Century: Chronicling Episodes of Religious Conflicts(01V) Inspiration for this paper came from the desire to provide substantial historical data on and analysis of the ongoing crises in Plateau state that takes the form of religious radicalism. Since the events of September 7-12 2001, Jos and Plateau state in general have been going through storms of "religious" conflicts. The storms linger on with occasional outbreaks and the absence of genuine peace, in spite of measures taken by government to end it. The fact that the crises seem to be insurmountable makes Plateau state's case of religious conflicts unique in Nigeria. The existing literature has been dominated by treatment of the problem as a phenomenon or sociological problem among others, while discussions on the immediate causes and effects are devoid of in-depth historical content. This paper argues that the crisis has its roots deeply in history. In view of this, the paper suggests that until such historical causatives are identified and properly settled, all remedial measures will only treat the symptoms. Organized panel, English
G.S.Skovoroda Philosophy Institute of NAS of Ukraine, Ukraine Controversial Interaction of New Religions and Traditional Churches in Contemporary Ukraine(04T) The religious map of Ukraine, that previously was limited has become substantially diverse. This has created a situation 1) of practical religious and world-view pluralism; 2) of conflicts between old (historical, traditional) and new religions. Ukraine, that was previously based on a distinctive, long-standing world-view, have been enriched by the non-traditional approaches and lifestyles. It could be considered as a threat to traditional unity and individual consciousness. The presence of the new alternative religious phenomena shook the traditional world-view way of thinking and foundations of Ukrainian society. There are different cultures and conventions behind every non-traditional religion, and they are not the same as indigenous world-views. The NRMs' relationships with the traditional churches, State and society are not friendly or understandable. Contradictions between NRMs and traditional churches could be solved, not so much by restrictions, protests, and resistance, as through dialogue, joined work in solving different problems in Ukraine. Organized panel, English
University of Jos, Nigeria The Use of Mystical Powers in Kutep/Jukun Conflicts in Northern Nigeria(02V) The use of mystical powers in conflicts in Africa has become a common phenomenon. Stephen Ellis (2001) has told us how such mystical weapons were used in the Liberian civil war between 1989 and 1997. Thugs in northern Nigeria, yan-ci-rani, gardawa, yan dabba and yan tauri, have been known to use mystical powers in religious conflicts (see Mervyn Hiskett 1987). The conflict between the Jukun and the Kutep in northeast of Nigeria is a unique one. Both ethnic groups have a common ancestral origin and they belong to the same church, the Christian Reformed Church. This paper looks at why Christian communities would revert to the use of traditional means to settle squabbles. The paper also shows the interactions between traditional religious practices and Christianity in the lives of the Jukun and Kutep of Taraba State in Nigeria. Organized panel, English
University of Jos, Nigeria State Violence against Women in Sharia Sates in Northern Nigeria(11F) There has been a worldwide outcry against the death sentences passed on women condemned in some Sharia courts in Nigeria for committing adultery. This came in the wake of September 11 2001 attack on the US, which has given Islam a bad name, at least in Western media. The evidence against the women was that they had children out of wedlock. The celebrated cases were those of Safiya Tugartudu Hussaini and Amina Lawal, who might have been stoned to death had national and international human rights organizations not put out a fierce fight. The paper provides a detail account of these cases and how they were handled by the various Sharia courts. It also considers how the handling of such cases constitutes violence against women by the State. Organized panel
University of Jos, Nigeria The Use of Mystical Powers in Kutep/Jukun Conflicts in Northern Nigeria(15O) The use of mystical powers in conflicts in Africa has become a common phenomenon. Stephen Ellis (2001) has told us how such mystical weapons were used in the Liberian civil war between 1989 and 97. Tugs in northern Nigeria, yan-ci-rani, gardawa, yan dabba and yan tauri have been known to use mystical powers in religious conflicts (see Mervyn Hiskett, 1987). The conflict between the Jukun and the Kutep in northeast of Nigeria is a unique one. Both ethnic groups have common ancestral origin and they both belong to the same church, Christian Reformed Church. This paper looks at why Christian communities would revert to the use of traditional means to settle squabbles. The paper also shows the interactions of the traditional religious practices with Christianity in the lives of the Jukun and Kutep of Taraba State of Nigeria. Organized panel
University of Saõ Paulo, Brasil Religious hybridism in Brazilian Literature: Euclides da Cunha, Guimarães Rosa, Jorge Amado(14O) Brazilian literary criticism often has to turn to studies of religion in order to be faithful to its subjects. One has to cope with the fact that few literatures in the world are so impregnated by religious hybridisms. At least three of our main writers have given good space, or even a central role, to this phenomenon. First of all, Euclides da Cunha (Os sertões) wrote a book about religious insurrection, which gave birth to the Canudos peasant war. Then Guimarães Rosa (Grande sertão: veredas) wrote about this ubiquitous presence and its permeation of Brazilian society. And Jorge Amado (Gabriela, cravo e canela) discussed the syncretism between the orixá's African cult and Catholicism in Bahia. In order to analyse these and other writers, we must be attentive to the function that religious hybridism plays in the structure of their literary works. Organized panel, English
University of Ghana, Ghana Religion as a Paradoxical Factor of Conflict, War and Peace(14L) Religion (the term that comes from a Latin root word "religare" which means "to bind") has been known to be a crucial factor for good and evil, for peace and for conflict. Religion can thus be said to be a paradox. It can be compared with electric energy which can be harnessed to produce heat to boil or burn things – depending on what gadget one turns on – or the proverbial Ghanaian tsetsefly which is known to have the capability both to sting and emit poison and at the same time to blow cool and soothing air on its victim. From this imagery of the tsetsefly or electricity, depicting the nature of religion, as it were, the paper will be developed. Illustrations and examples will be given from historical evidence. Suggestions will then be made as to how, in my opinion, the positive power of religion can be accessed for conflict resolution and peace in the contemporary global society. Organized panel
University of Ottawa, Canada The Islamic Tradition and the Contemporary Western Study of Religion: The Challenge of Muslim Intellectuals(12O) In this paper, I would like to plead in favour of the indispensable role of intellectuals as agents of religious transformation in contemporary Muslim societies. The present situation of intellectuals in numerous societies could be compared, to some extent, with the "modernist crisis" of the Catholic Church at the end of the 19th century. What is primarily at stake for intellectuals is the complete freedom to analyse the Islamic tradition from a critical point of view. One of the first steps in that direction is to create university programs of Religious Studies (or give alternatives to the omnipotent theological perspective in the majority of Muslim countries), comparable with those that we find in Western Europe and North America. Without these programs, how will the intellectuals (and in particular scholars of religion) be able to challenge the claims of fundamentalists in contemporary Muslim societies. However, intellectuals who preached for critical thinking, reforms of all sorts and at last modernity, were often threatened with death, persecuted, and sometimes murdered, by the conservatives elements of their respective societies. Their crime is to challenge the age-old tradition. In short, Islamic fundamentalists showed, in recent history, that the soul of Muslim societies is essentially religious and that the social unconscious is composed of religious archetypes inherited from the tradition. Organized panel, French
Sophia University, Japan Humor and Religion: An Overview(02P) The topic of humor and religion poses a puzzle. As witnessed by notions such as homo ridens and homo religious, both humor and religion have been regarded as defining the human condition. Somewhat differently, both have often been held to be universals found throughout history and across cultures. The relation of religion and humor, however, has not formed a central topic for reflection in the study of religion. Both classic and more current theorists of religion rarely give the topic extended, if any, treatment. This paper will attempt, through offering a provisional map of some of the ways humor and religion are related, to argue that the relation of religion and humor is of more importance than has generally been recognized and deserves fuller exploration and reflection. Organized panel, English
Sophia University, Japan (06I) Organized panel Geaves, Ron University College Chester, UK Religion, the Sacred, and Spaces of Contestation, Segregation and Difference: panel1(13F) *chairperson Organized panel, English
University College Chester, UK The Body as a Site of Contested Narratives: The Role of Kavati Rituals amongst Murugan Devotees in Tamil Diasporas(14F) The Kavati rituals, a pre-eminent feature of Murugan worship, consist of the carrying of a burden in a procession with other devotees, a universal feature of which is an act of physical mortification. They have become a distinct marker of Tamil diaspora communities. Murugan, the ancient Tamil war-god, is synonymous with Tamil language, culture and religion, and can be represented as a Dravidian god, freed from the perceived despotic tyrannies of Northern Aryan India. He is thus a potent symbol for migrant communities that have had to struggle to achieve economic prosperity whilst striving to preserve identity and ancestral traditions. I argue that Kavati rituals can take on diverse meanings according to the struggles unique to specific communities, and that the ritual act of self-mortification - that takes place in the private realm of the body and re-enacts symbolically a number of victories - becomes a significant feature in resolving the tensions of diasporas in the public realm of identity formation. Organized panel
Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Germany Healing in Japan(06M) Iyashi, a term that implies an urge for "healing" within contemporary Japanese society, is haunting the media and the markets ever since it emerged in the New Age wave of the 1970s. In the late 1990s iyashi became one of the prominent key words marking the Zeitgeist of the decade. Even in recent publications iyashi seems to have preserved its validity as a keyterm that indicates certain needs of Post-Bubble-Japan. The paper will analyze some manifestations of the Japanese iyashi boom, mainly be referring to literary works and the so-called cultural discourse. Organized panel
University of Aarhus, Denmark Cosmologies, Theologies and Anthropologies of War and Peace in Indigenous Religions(04C) Ideas of war and peace as conceived by indigenous religions the world over are formulated in their individual cosmologies. These cosmologies not only deal with the origins and nature of the universe, its structure, forms and purpose, but they also formulate basic conceptions and attitudes formulated more or less systematically in their individual theologies and anthropologies. Thus, ideologies of war and peace occur in terms of what it means to be human and how humans should behave, which again interrelate with ideas about gods, the ancestors, animal spirits and various other-than-human beings. Indigenous religions and cultures have their own distinctive emphasis on where war and peace are located in behavior and attitudes. Some focus on humans, some on gods and others on broader cosmological forces. But wherever the causal emphasis is from culture to culture, these matters are usually of a social nature, I.e. reciprocal social relations frame the forces at play. This panel will explore the various ways that indigenous peoples conceive of and deal with violence and harmony, war and peace. Organized panel, * Session Abstract, English
University of Aarhus, Denmark War, Violence, Feuding and Death in Hopi Indian Mythology(04C) The renowned linguist in Hopi studies, Ekkehart Malotki, once observed in his discussion of the misguided popular conception that the term hopi means "peace": As it turns out, there is not a single word in the entire Hopi lexicon that captures our idea of peace. On the other hand, the Hopi language contains an extensive vocabulary that relates to the business of war…. [However,] one noun for "war" and two verbs for "killing" do not make the Hopi a warlike people. Neither does the fact that the domain of warlore was quite extensive in Hopi culture…. Also the fact that Hopi oral history is brimming with violence, feuding, and death, on an individual as well as a communal scale…, must not be taken too literally. After all, even the Hopi kachina gods, whom one would expect to be spiritual role models, are portrayed in Hopi mythology as death-dealing avengers when they are wronged. None of these observations precludes the Hopi striving for peace and harmony within religious or philosophical parameters. They only make the Hopi appear more like the rest of humankind. Both Hopi and Christian theology aim high at such ideals as brotherly love and peace, being fully aware that the most hideous crimes have been perpetrated in the name of their respective gods (Malotki 2002, 140-141. This paper will first explore the misguided popular conception of the term hopi, followed by selected examples of war, violence, feuding and death in Hopi Indian mythology. Organized panel, English
University of Aarhus, Denmark When Cognitive Scientists Become Religious, Science Is in Trouble: On Neurotheology from a Philosophy of Science Perspective(10K) This paper examines attempts by neuroscientists and theologians to formulate what they call neurotheology, I.e. the study of theology from a neuropsychological perspective. Some of it is respectable science, but a lot of it consists in power struggles between religious interest groups and scientists. Results are often a blend of attempts to debunk scientific evidence, perform pseudoscientific experiments and/or use little understood scientific results to legitimate religious techniques and claims. Much of the experimental evidence, for instance on Transcendental Meditation, is lacking in critical controls, as is the experimental work of experiential shamanists at Michael Harner's Institute of Shamanic Study. Many of the personalities involved are both scientists and believers, such as James H. Austen and Eugene d'Aquili. Famous researchers of alternative states of consciousness, such as Charles Tart, now give workshops in "Basic Training in Skillful Means" [http://consciousness.arizona.edu/conference/tucson2004/index.php?page=workshops]. This paper will discuss the problems of neurotheology from the perspective of the philosophy of science. Organized panel
Martin-Luther-Universität, Germany The Masonic Necromancer: Shifting Identities in the Lives of Johann Georg Schrepfer(12G) As a contribution to the symposium's perspective on "Western Esotericism and Polemics of Identity", the paper will explore the spectacular life and death of the 18th-century necromancer Johann Georg Schrepfer, who was a famous, yet ambiguous figure in and beyond the Masonic scene of his age. He invented several personalities - from coffeehouse keeper to French envoy - and managed to fascinate men of high reputation by claiming to be in possession of 'secret sciences'. Being prosecuted for imposture, he shot himself, leaving behind the unfulfilled promise to reveal his secrets within his belongings. Main topics of the paper will be the question of how Schrepfer performed his necromancy - not technically, but with regard to the spiritual context - and how and why he proselytized high rank members of the Saxon electoral court by calling spirits like that of the Templars' last Grand Master. Was he an esotericist rather than a swindler? Symposium, English
University of Tokyo, Japan Persecutions on the Balkans: past and present(15N) How to define persecution in its Balkan context: religious, intellectual, political? Is it a phenomenon of the historical past only? What are the roots and late modifications of this phenomenon in the area of the Balkans? The paper is going to suggest some possible answers to these and other related questions by analyzing the following main problems: 1. The Roman Balkans: age of persecution. Christian and Pagan Balkans. 2. The Theodosian Line: Christianity divided. Orthodox and Catholic Balkans. 3. Persecution remodeled: modern uses of the past. Religious, intellectual and political dimensions of the totalitarian persecutions in the Balkans. Organized panel
SOAS, UK
Ghana's New Christianity and Globalization(05G) Ghana like so many countries of Sub-Saharan Africa has experienced an explosion of new churches over the last 15 years or so. These churches are obviously 'Pentecostal', and this paper will examine the kind of Christianity they represent. All dimensions - discourse, theological vision, worship, rituals, music, media involvement, use of the bible, conventions, finances, clientele - will be analysed to establish the extent to which these churches represent something global, and the extent to which they are African (or even Ghanaian). The changing nature of this Christianity will be stressed, as also its diversity, and its role in the current socio-political situation. Organized panel, English
SOAS, UK
Transformation of Minority Religious Communities(05G) *chairperson Organized panel
University of Kent, UK Altruism and Religious Belonging in the United Kingdom(02I) This paper will examine the empirical evidence suggesting a link between altruism and religious belonging. It will review evidence that those who are active in religious organisations are also disproportionately active in a number of secular voluntary agencies concerned with the care of vulnerable groups. It will also examine evidence of altruistic attitudes among the religiously active, based upon correlations in social attitude data. There is, however, an obvious theoretical problem that must be analysed carefully concerned with causation. Are the religiously active engaged in altruistic action in the community as a result of their religious commitments? Or is it rather the case that those active in the community tend in addition to be active in religious organisations? At this point the paper will look carefully at data drawn from both quantitative and qualitative studies and will suggest that a cultural theory of religious belonging offers a possible explanation. Organized panel, English
University of Edinburgh, UK Disparate Meanings: Religion, Land and Indigeneity in Context(10U) This paper will reflect on a post-structural analysis of the word 'indigenous', or more accurately the words 'indigenous peoples' and 'indigenous religions', highlighting the disparate meanings prescribed and ascribed to these words by three distinct groups: scholars of religion, the United Nations and indigenous activists. Although there remain serious problems with the use of the word 'indigenous' in general and particularly in Asian and African contexts, its currency within international law cannot be ignored, particularly in the light of indigenous claims to the land. At the same time, these distinct groups and their different approaches will be located within their own cultural and historical contexts. The disparate meanings given to the word 'indigenous' highlight the interactions, or lack thereof, between these groups. While there are similarities or relationships between the ascribed and prescribed meanings given by indigenous activists and international law, the meaning given by scholars of religion, particularly in the UK, differs significantly. This paper aims to put forward an argument for a politicisation of the academic process by exemplifying land issues as a means of encouraging better academic interaction with others both inside and outside the academy. Organized panel
Lehigh University, USA Local and Global Aspects of Religion and Art: The Case of Self-Taught/Outsider Art(15L) In recent years in Europe and the United States there has been a growing scholarly interest in so-called self-taught, outsider, or vernacular art. This is an art that is broadly and controversially connected with earlier "primitivist," "Art Brut," and "folk art" movements in the history of Western art – movements that often seem to suggest some general, universal, or primal aspect to the aesthetic intentionality, methods, and products of untrained and often culturally/mentally marginalized artists. Another common trait associated with contemporary Euro-American self-taught or outsider art is a religiosity/spirituality that is often eccentrically "visionary," "shamanistic," "apocalyptic," and obsessive. Interesting questions are raised by these frequently asserted but rarely examined assumptions about certain artistic, religious, and psychological "universals" in the field. This interdisciplinary panel will take up some of these issues – especially to begin the critical process of examining the relation of outsider art and religion in more of a fully cross-cultural or international context. Papers will be presented on nature and significance of Japanese outsider art, Caribbean/African/African-American art, Euro-American tradition, and on what has been called "world art." Organized panel, * Session Abstract
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