K. M. University, India Christianity in the Land of Santhals: a study of Resistance and Acceptance in Historical Perspective(03U)

Takahashi, Ryoichi

Kansai University, Japan

Hope for Peace(13U)

The problem of hope has great importance in Tillich's thought of peace. Tillich considers it is impossible to realize peace on earth completely. But he never agrees with cynicism which gives up the endeavor for peace. Beyond the failure of idealism, however, he finds a driving power in hope, a power which urges us to endeavor to accomplish peace. Hope is different from utopian expectations. Genuine hope is essentially based on our structure of being, especially of our consciousness of history. Human beings are essentially oriented toward the future. We anticipate the future and the end. The hope of the Kingdom of God is not an expectation of a perfect stage at the end of history. The anticipated fulfillment is a fragmentary fulfillment. Although the fulfillment is fragmentary, the anticipated fulfillment creates the hope which drives us to strive for peace.

Organized panel, Japanese
Takahashi, Yukiko

Shukutoku University, Japan

Takakusu Junjiro on Religious Education(16F)

This paper attempts to explore the basic principles of religious education as espoused by TAKAKUSU Junjiro (1866-1945), an internationally renowned authority of Buddhist studies, who at same time was one of the pioneers of Buddhist women's education in modern Japan. To put his ideas of Buddhist education into practice, in 1924 he established a girl's high school in Tokyo and simultaneously published his major book on this subject: Buddhism as the Realization of Human Life. In this book he repeatedly used phrases like "religion for the new age," "giving religion a central place in modern education," and pleaded for an education for which the ultimate aim was to build up ideal personalities like the Buddha. In this book, TAKAKUSU drew upon large-scale comparative studies both of Eastern and Western religions and thought, and found the sources of cultural creativity in the rational and oppositional view of the West and the intuitional and unifying vision of the East. In the actuality of life, he insists, these two are complementary to each other, and therefore advises people not to give one-sided importance to either one or the other. The need for a Buddhist-oriented education, which he repeatedly emphasized in this book, comes exactly from the circumstances that at that time Japan was pursuing the goal of modernization based upon a Western model. According to him, this makes religious education as the basis for personality-building all the more indispensable.

Organized panel, English
Takamori, Akira

Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan

Schleiermacher and Religions(11Q)

*respondent

Organized panel, German
Takashima, Jun

Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Japan

Karmasamya Theory in Shaivism(04L)

In the Shaiva Siddhanta doctrine of salvation, the most authoritative theory on the cause of the descent of the salvific power of God is that this descent depends on the maturation of mala (soul's innate impurity). However, the Kirana-tantra, one of the oldest Shaiva Scriptures, states that Shiva gives his grace to a bound soul at the special occasion of karmasamya, the balanced state of two equally powerful, simultaneously maturing karmans, which are opposite in nature and mutually blocking their effect. What in fact was this "karmasamya'' theory is not clear, because this theory was disregarded afterwards. I will try to reconstruct what was this karmasamya theory with the aid of Abhinavagupta's criticism on it, and also try to give some hypothesis on the reason why this theory was not accepted in the end.

Organized panel, English
Takashima, Jun

Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Japan

Study of Tantrism(15S)

*chairperson

Organized panel
Takayama, Hidetsugu

Tokyo Gakugei Daigaku, Japan

Comparative Philosophy of Religion: Challenges of Expropriation and Mission(09S)

*chairperson

Organized panel
Takayama, Hidetsugu

Tokyo Gakugei Daigaku, Japan

What is Missionary Activity in Religion?(09S)

In terms of religious history, a particular form of religion starts to spread through a relationship between individuals, and then gradually grows to organize itself as a certain religious group. It is necessary, in the process of propagation, to justify the doctrine publicly and claim it as theoretically true. Missionary activity is worth consideration when we study the history of religion from this perspective. To put it briefly, these activities might just consist in propagating doctrine, but we also need to think about the subjective part of those who receive it. Therefore, this activity cannot be only regarded as the business of religious priests, but as the interpenetration between those who propagate and those who receive the doctrine. In this paper, I will examine various aspects of missionary activity, clarify its essential nature, and promote a discussion on the definition of missionary activity.

Organized panel, Japanese
Takayama, Machiko

Edogawa University, Japan

The Roots of Mormon Genealogies: An Application of E. Todd's Model of European Family Types(02U)

For Japanese who live in a tradition shaped by the emperor system, it is puzzling that a religion like Mormonism with its heavy emphasis on genealogy would appear in a modern country like the United States. In this paper, I try to explain this emphasis on genealogy from the perspective of family patterns found in those parts of Europe from where the Mormon converts originally came. E. Todd, a French social anthropologist, discovered that family types vary within Europe and defined four types of family organization based on the existence/non-existence of authoritarianism in the parent-child relationship, and the existence/non-existence of egalitarianism among siblings. One of these family types, the "linear-descent type" featuring parent authoritarianism and sibling inequality, was found in Germany, Switzerland, Scandinavia, and Scotland. In the late nineteenth century, when the emphasis on genealogy in the Mormon faith was formed, many converts came from areas featuring this "linear-descent type" of family. It can be assumed that these converts strengthened the tendency towards genealogy in the Mormon religion. Japan, too, is a country where the "linear-descent type" is the dominant family type. In this paper, I want to propose that both the emperor system and Mormonism can be understood as phenomena based on the culture of the "linear-descent type" of family organization.

Organized panel, English
Takayama, Sadami

Sophia University, Japan

Conversion and Self-Identity in Paul and Shinran(01W)

Conversion is essentially a personal experience. It is neither repeatable nor transferable. As a religious awakening, it can determine one's whole life and establish one's identity. From that moment of conversion, Paul lived a vigorous life as an apostle to the Gentiles, and Shinran as a true disciple of Buddha (真仏弟子). Thus, both Paul and Shinran regard their vocation as a gracious gift entrusted to them personally. Yet by their own words it is also true that they acknowledged themselves unworthy and unqualified to be called an apostle (or a disciple): Paul states, "Last of all, as to one untimely born, he (the risen Jesus) appeared also to me." (Cor 15:8); towards the end of the section on the true disciple of Buddha (Kyogyoshinsho 教行信証), Shinran candidly confesses his profound awareness of evil in himself. In this presentation I would like to consider the "self-identity" of Paul and Shinran which arises from "conversion."

Organized panel, English
Takeda, Fumihiko Francis

Sapientia University, Japan

Ephrem's Theological Approach to God(14N)

If theology is, as in its original meaning, "a discourse about God," the most difficult task for Christian theologians is how to deal with the transcendental God in their treaties. Ephrem the Syrian in the fourth century stands out in his approach to God among his contemporary church fathers. He avoids any theological definitions of God, because God is beyond everything, and so cannot be defined by any notions. Instead, Ephrem uses many symbols and paradox to describe the Being of God. In addition, Ephrem expresses his theological visions not in prose but in poetry. This is based on his deep insights that poetry is a more suitable literary form for talking about God. All these approaches to God reflect characteristics of Syriac Christianity, the direct successor of Semitic Christianity, which is very different from Greek and Latin Christianity, and show a great diversity in the ancient Christian world.

Symposium, English
Takeda, Hideaki

Kougakkan University, Japan

New Views on Shinto History(08P)

Recently, many studies of Shinto have brought up several important new issues for Shinto history. In this paper, I will to attempt a introduce these new topics and discuss possible future directions these studies may take.

Organized panel
Takeda, Kazuhisa

Sophia University, Japan

Community Life in the Missions as Effected by Negotiations: Transactions between the Jesuits and Guarani at the Dawn of their Encounter(01E)

What was the reaction of indigenous people to missionary activity in the South American continent? In the vast majority of the cases these indigenous folk, who since their contact with the European came to confront calamitous situations, chose for their own safety to live in the missions built by these missionaries. This, however, is not to say that they concurred totally with all aspects of mission life, despite the threats of sudden assault that they were frequently exposed to. This presentation, taking as a case as the response of the Guarani towards the Jesuits in Paraguay under Spanish rule, intends to probe the question as to what life meant for the Guarani in the missions. In order to reexamine the theory that they accepted life with the Jesuits with no holds barred because they found everything satisfactory and to their taste, I will first describe their situation at the beginning of the 17th century, and then show that in order to duly enter into their life in the missions the Guarani conducted several transactions with the Jesuits, at the start of their missions life. By this means I intend to point out that their community life in the missions was the outcome of negotiations by both parties.

Organized panel, English
Takeda, Mikio

Aichi Shinshiro Otani University, Japan

The Problem of Time as Seen in Shinran(07J)

In my paper I wish to explore Shinran's problematization of time. Shinran states: The person who lives true shinjin, however, abides in the stage of the truly settled, for he has already been grasped, never to be abandoned. There is no need to wait in anticipation for the moment of death, no need to rely on Amida's coming. At the time shinjin becomes settled, birth too becomes settled." (Mattosho) Shinran emphasizes that there is no need to rely on Amida's coming at the moment of death. In these words we can find Shinran making clear the shinjin which realizes,by oneself, the truth salvation now. This "now" is Shinran's problematization of time.

Organized panel, Japanese
Takeda, Shinichi

Kyushu Tokai University, Japan

Homo Credens as Seen from the Perspective of Evolutionary Psychology(17K)

The human body evolved several ten thousand years ago, and has since then remained basically unchanged. The notion of mind has therefore come to play a special role. Humans possess an immune system that helps them adapt to their environment. This system developed in a process of natural selection and can be called a product of "intelligent" evolution. It has become clear that a placebo is able to activate the immune system. Placebos seem to have a positive effect on almost every sickness. This is why placebos are considered to be an extraordinary type of drug, and placebo treatment may cause a medical revolution in the 21st century. It is expected that the effect of placebos will be further improved over the next period of time. Examining the placebo effect from the point of view of evolutionary psychology, this paper argues that belief is fundamentally connected to human life.

Organized panel, English
Takei, Junsuke

University of Rissho, Japan

The Life History Approach as a Present Challenge in Religious Studies(08J)

Today, in many study departments, the life history approach is used. This approach is supposed to grasp the individual's subjective, personal world. It is sometimes used in the case of studying the individual's personal world of the founder of a religion or the believers. In this panel, we present four cases by the life history approach. In the first case, we study the life history of the 2nd generation follower of a new religion, and try to understand the meaning of the withdrawal about her whole life. Number 2, we study the life history of the religious founder, and try to understand the basis of his belief from the talk of the persons concerning. Number 3, we study the life history of a believer from the religious and political viewpoint, and try to consider their subjective, personal world multilaterally. Finally, we study the believer's inconsistency to be connected with the number of the listener. From the above, we analyze the life history approach on the present issues in religious studies, at the point of methodology and practice. We want to seek the possibility of this approach.

Organized panel, * Session Abstract, Japanese
Takei, Junsuke

University of Rissho, Japan

The Diversity of Interpretation in a Believer's Life History(08J)

This presentation makes an example process in which the woman belonging to the Marxism group had affiliated to the new religion. And it is going to interpret her personal subjective world by the life history. In religious studies, "religious conversion" and "religious affiliation" are used as a term expressing the change of the sense of values on which the individual is based. Although it is difficult to classify these clearly, if one dares a definition, religious conversion is a one-time individual experience which comes suddenly and religious affiliation is a process which one acquires from a religious group's belief system in the long-term, out of a social / cultural situation. However, this example is not treated as an example of religious conversion and religious affiliation, but is treated as an example of "political conversion." Because this example is the shift to a religious dimension from a political dimension, that is, it is the shift to the faith from Marxism and she becomes "disappointed in Marxism" a reason for affiliation with a religion. By this, we examine an individual life history with a different viewpoint from religious conversion and religious affiliation, and would like to seek for interpretative diversity.

Organized panel, Japanese
Takei, Junsuke

University of Rissho, Japan

Belief and Human Geography of Tunesaburo Makiguchi(08J)

I study the life history of a religious founder, and try to understand the basis of his beliefs from the talk of the persons concerning. Tunesaburo Makiguchi is well known as a founder of the Soka-Gakkai, and an author of Human Geography (Jinsei Tirigaku). The purpose of this presentation is to make clear the way of Makiguchi's religious acceptance, and his geography and education. This study tries to interview from Makiguchi's students and believers. This presentation suggests that Makiguchi's religious acceptance is the result of the ideology and theory that were based on his human geography.

Organized panel, Japanese
Takei, Junsuke

University of Rissho, Japan

Application of Systematic Modeling for Religious Research(14K)

*respondent

Organized panel
Takemura, Hatsumi

University of Hawaii, USA

Discourses on Traditional Religion in the Indigenous Hawaiian People's Movement(04C)

"Hawaiian Renaissance," arisen in the late 1960s, is an indigenous Hawaiian peoples' rights-claiming, decolonizing and cultural revival movement. It includes many religious discourses, cultivating the modern notion of Hawaiian spirituality. Widely deployed at individual, local and global levels, this notion is ubiquitous from their personal narratives on individual Hawaiians' cultural identity, their anti-nuclear movements to their claim for Hawaiian sovereignty. It also appears when they argue environmental problems both on local and global levels, and even the health-care problems of Hawaiian people. Studying this movement from the the perspective of religious study will help us understand how Hawaiian traditional religion has been revitalized to serve as a cultural resource from which contemporary Hawaiians use symbols to empower their political protest; how it has influenced, and has been influenced by, the counter-culture since the late 1960s; and how today's "native intellectuals" cope with and restructure their ancestors' religious way of thinking.

Organized panel, English
Takemura, Kazuo

Risshou Universitiy, Japan

A Geographical Study on the Acceptance of the Mission of the Church(02U)

The purpose of this presentation is to show that there are regional differences in the religious acceptance of the Christian mission in the provincial cities of Japan, and that those differences are mainly based on regional differences in the folk religion. This research proves that the mission of the church is comparatively difficult in the Jodoshin sect regions where there are many temples of the Jodoshin sect, in Yamagata and Toyama Prefectures. However, a large number of these church members are apt to be devoted Christians. In the regions where there are many temples of the Soto sect and other sects stand abreast, the mission of the church is comparatively easy. However, a large number of the church members are apt to be out of the Church. In Okinawa Prefecture, where there is the religion of the ancestor worship, the mission of the church is easy.

Organized panel, English
Takemura, Kazuo

Risshou Universitiy, Japan

Belief and the Human Geography of Tunesaburo Makiguchi(08J)

I study the life history of a founder of a Japanese religion, and try to understand the basis of his belief from the words of those who knew him. Tunesaburo Makiguchi is well known as a founder of Soka-Gakkai, and an author of Human Geography (Jinsei Chirigaku). The purpose of this presentation is to make clear Makiguchi's religious acceptance, and his geography and education. In this study, I have interviewed Makiguchi's students and believers. This presentation suggests that Makiguchi's religious acceptance is the result of the ideology and theory that were based on his human geography.

Organized panel, Japanese
Takemura, Makio

Toyo University, Japan

On The Significance of the Figure of Buddha in Buddhism(02Q)

Buddhism's view on the Absolute is unique. The Absolute is not elucidated through a contrast of the Absolute and the Relative. Rather, it is found in the identity of the Absolute with the Relative. In other words, the Absolute is found in the identity of any phenomenal dharma (samskrita) with ultimate nature (asamskrita) as emptiness (sunyata), or in the activity of jnana and the tathata or dharmata. The individuality or personality of Buddha and the universality or impersonality of tathata are never separated. Ultimate nature does not exist only by itself, and a specific Buddha is merely one of many Buddhas, even if people believe in one particular Buddha as the Absolute. In Buddhism, personified manifestations of Buddhas are entities guiding the masses to Buddhahood through their great compassion. They are not entities passing judgment on anyone. I will attempt to analyze the reasons for this by addressing such issues as whether or not the personified manifestations of the Absolute are rooted in emptiness, and whether the Absolute is one or multiple.

Organized panel, English
Takeshita, Masataka

Sufism: A Perspective for Peace and Coexistence(02O)

*respondent

Organized panel
Takeshita, Masataka

University of Tokyo, Japan

Sufi Studies(03O)

*chairperson

Organized panel
Takeuchi, Mitsuyoshi

Ritsumeikan University, Japan

The Miare Ritual of the Kamo Shrine(08U)

The "miare" ritual, or "miare" festival, is part of the major ceremony that receives an imperial envoy at the Kamo shrine. The meaning of the ritual is specialized and important. Originally, the word are meant the "appearance, revival, or reappearance" of the deity. But when the term is used in its ritual context, it implies trying to feel or experience the reappearance of the deity. The miare ritual is the most unique of all the festivals at Kamigamo shrine, as noted in the ancient text the Shugaishô. In another classic work, the Kamo Kyûki, one part of the ritual is described using a slightly different meaning for the word are. Here, it refers to a sakaki branch or tree taken from a sacred mountain which then receives the spiritual essence of the deity. The Kamo deity descends to a sacred site where it is received by the are of the branch or tree and thus manifests itself for the ritual. Through this ritual, the deity can unite with humanity.

Organized panel, Japanese
Takeuchi, Tsunafumi

Kyoto University, Japan

Nihilism, Life and Responsibility(08Q)

Although Hans Jonas is famous in the field of 'applied ethics', he views the problems of modern technology as 'ontological', rather than 'ethical'. As technological development increases society's scientific world-view, any value or ends are denied, causing nihilism. To combat this, Jonas constructs an ontology based on 'principles of life', which avoids the separation of man and world so as to keep humanities unbroken. This ontology regards beings with the 'principle of life', adopting the fruits of the theory of evolution. Jonas' insistence on the 'principle of responsibility', results from such an ontology, but there are many difficulties. Discussing the importance and difficulties of his logic in the two 'principles', this paper will illuminate the tasks confronting philosophy of religion in the age of science and technology.

Symposium, Japanese
Takizawa, Katsuhiko

Tohoku University, Japan

The Situation of Religion in Post-Socialist Mongolia(17O)

After the collapse of Socialism in 1990, the situation of religion in Mongolia has changed dramatically. Before 1990, almost all activities of religious groups were prohibited under the socialist system. The intellectual liberalization that took place after democratization, however, has laid the foundations for a revival of religion. Indigenous religions such as Buddhism, Islam and Shamanism have revitalized their activities. For example, Buddhism, which had possessed only one monastery earlier, has over 150 monasteries today. The number of shamans, too, is increasing in the eastern part of the country. At the same time, foreign religions such as Christianity, Baha'I and other new religions have entered Mongolia. In particular the Protestant churches are actively engaged in missionary work and have gained many believers. In this panel, we attempt to explain these phenomena not by tracing the history of religious organizations, but by analyzing complex relations between various social factors such as religious consciousness, cultural structures, and community.

Organized panel, * Session Abstract, English