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

Ono, Makoto

Osaka University of Foreign Studies, Japan

Background to the Imagination in "Emptiness and Soku"(07E)

In "Emptiness and Soku" Nishitani speaks of "the activity of fundamental imagination arising from the Dharma-realm in which all phenomena interpenetrate." Here he deepens his philosophy of emptiness by relating it to the problem of image. Of course, despite the fact that the introduction of the theory of imagination or that of common sensibility lies at the core of this essay, these ideas are not fully developed and seem at first sight to appear out of the blue. However, Nishitani conducted a close study of Aristotle's imagination in his Essays on Aristotle (1948). It can be said that, fundamentally, Nishitani's theory of imagination is based on his youthful study of Aristotle. However, even in these essays, he does not clarify how Buddhist thought and the theory of the imagination can be bridged. During his lectures at Otani University in 1981, Nishitani attempts to correlate "perception" (one of the five aggregates of Buddhism) with common sensibility. The Essays on Aristotle and the lecture at Otani University provide us with a key to elucidating Nishitani's theory of imagination in "Emptiness and Soku," which is frequently unclear.

Organized panel, Japanese
Onovoh, Paul Onyemechi

The Holy Sabbath Ministries International Inc., USA

The Igbo Sabbath Movement, Traditions, Spread and Relevance: A Brief Survey(01T)

The evangelistic activities of Sokari Garrick Braide, a.k.a Elijah II in the early twentieth century, which began as a small ripple in the pond, gradually spread as great waves among the people of the riverine areas of Nigeria and especially among the Igbos of South Eastern Nigeria. Two independent religious movements sprang from Braides prophetic evangelism, namely The Christ Army Church and the The Holy Sabbath Order. The former has been known to observe the Sunday as a holy day of worship, while the latter have consistently observed the seventh day Sabbath. In this paper I will present a brief history of the coming of the sabbath phenomenon in this part of Nigeria. The actual beginning of the Igbo Sabbath Movement will be traced, analyzed and discussed. The organizational structure, leadership, evangelism and spread of the Holiness Order, that is the Holy Sabbath Order, will be presented. Attention will be paid to the spiritual practices which include but are not limited to the observance of holy days, dietary laws, place of women etc. We shall also touch on the re-invention of the Aaronite priesthood and the place of Jesus in the belief system of this enigmatic group.

Organized panel, English
Onuki, Takashi

Japan Biblical Institute, Japan

Conflict and Peace in the New Testament and Early Christianity(11N)

Conflict and Peace in the New Testament and Early Christianity

Organized panel, English
Ooka, Yorimitsu

Chukyo University, Japan

Happiness in the Other World and the Welfare State: Comparison of the Common Grave in Sweden and Japan(01D)

Welfare State Studies have rarely asked how happiness in the other world relates to the welfare state. In Sweden, a common grave system has developed as part of the public welfare service since the 1960s. Relatives of the deceased person are prevented from attending the scattering of the dead person's ashes and are not allowed to know the place where the ashes were scattered. How do the people involved think about this matter? Is it believed that the dead should be regarded as if he/she had no relatives? Are the deceased to gain happiness in the other world simply trough public memorial services without private ones? Can a public welfare service only function with such a rationale? Does this imply that the bereaved also need a service to disconnect them from their dead relatives? From these viewpoints, I wish to compare the common grave systems in Sweden and Japan and discuss the significance of their differences.

Symposium, Japanese
Oomura, Eisho

Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan

The potential of Clinical Studies of Religion: The Dilemma of Happiness in This or the Other World(01D)

Do studies of religion seriously try to make people happy? It is not usual for them to do so. Rather, they seem to satisfy themselves with a dogmatic standpoint which is detached from the lives of people and they promote scientific explanations of only unhappiness. Instead, we pursue research which aims to enhance human well-being, from a Viewpoint of a clinical sociology. As professionals, we have listened to people's thoughts about death and life. At such times we often reconsidered our own feelings and thoughts. We wish to utilize these experiences as clinical wisdom, The spiritual Climate, folkways and mores have deeply influenced all of us. The influence is like an Iceberg, but scholars usually see only the tip of it. We would rather approach the hidden parts below the surface. By that we aim to derive hints for achieving both happiness in the other world and this world. (This symposium is under the auspices of the Kwansei Gakuin University 21st Century COE Program "Social Research for the Enhancement of Human Well-being -- Construction of a Society that Values Cultural Diversity")

Symposium, * Session Abstract, Japanese
Ooshima, Kaoru

Kansai University, Japan

Several Aspects of Preaching the Lotus Sutra(09U)

The eight lectures of the Lotus Sutra called Hokke-hakko were practiced employing several styles. Some were practiced with a national meaning, and some with private meanings. At this Hokke-hakko, the discourse of the Lotus sutra as well as the debate was very important. The study of the discourse until now concentrated on statements in ceremonies (hyobyaku) and admiration words for the chief ceremony-holder (seshudan). However, by studying the documents of the discourse of the Lotus Sutra called kyoshaku we can find that lecturers depended on their own denomination's commentaries and interpretations. They showed an understanding of their own denominations and that discourse had a connection with the following debates. We can say that discourse was one of the most important parts of the hakko. In this presentation, I would like to show the real conditions of the discourses concerned with the Lotus Sutra.

Organized panel, Japanese
Opeloye, Muhib Omolayo

Nigeria Association of Teachers of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Nigeria

The Full Implementation of Shariah in Nigeria and the Human Rights Question: What Implication for Christian-Muslim Relations?(11O)

Nigeria has been aptly described as the largest Muslim-Christian nation of the world. The re-introduction of the penal aspect of the Sharia by Zanfara State in 2000 elicited a strong reaction from Christians and human rights groups, who saw this as part of a grand design to islamise Nigeria. It was perceived as a potential tool for the infringement of human rights as some of its sanctions involved stoning to death and mutilation of limbs. In the light of this, the paper addresses some major questions regarding the penal prescriptions of Sharia in relation to human rights. The well-known cases of Saffiyatu Hussaini and Aminat Lawal will serve as a reference point.

Organized panel, English
Opoku, Kofi Asare

Indigenous Churches and Religious Peace in Ghana(*co-author with Wicker, Kathleen O'Brien)(12R)

*co-author with Wicker, Kathleen O'Brien

Organized panel
Oraon, Karma

Ranchi University, India

Tribal Religion at the Crossroad in the Indian Subcontinent(16S)

In India and adjoining parts of neighbouring countries like Nepal and, Bangladesh, thousands of Tribal Communities exist, which face challenges to their traditional and ancestral beliefs and practices. For the past one hundred years, ecological and cultural activities, which such groups have practised since prehistoric times, have been losing ground due to regular and frequent interference from the dominant religious groups. Such interference has produced adverse effects not only on the life style of Tribal Communities, but also on the question of their distinct identity. This pattern of religious and cultural erosion needs urgent study by social scientists, but in India, social scientists, like L.P. Vidyarthi, N.K. Bose, Sachchidananda, Ghurrye, D.N. Majumdar, have tended to regard such changes on traditional societies positively. This paper offers a different approach, by examining Jharkhand, a province under Indian sovereignty which has been facing extreme interference both by Hindu and Christian groups. Despite this, in Jharkhand, revivals of age old ancestral religious and cultural behaviour patterns have been occurring amongst tribal communities, which have been consolidating their stand to preserve their cultural ethos and separate identity.

Roundtable session, * Session Abstract, English
Orye, Lieve Elvire

Ghent University, Belgium

War of the Worlds, What about Peace? Lessons to learn from Science Studies?(10C)

In this paper the focus will be on the relevance of Bruno Latour's War of the Worlds, What about Peace? (2002) (as well as his work in science studies) and Isabelle Stengers' Pour en Finir avec la Tolerance (1997) for the study of religion. Latour's little booklet is closely related to the conference theme, and throws a distinct light on it. That is, he shows how discussions about conflict and peace have been held in terms of one nature versus a plurality of cultures or religions, and points out how his constructivist view on science opens up a quite different perspective. A link will be made with relevant discussions in the study of religion. By not only focusing attention on the notion of religion in these discussions, but reflecting on notions of science as well, different questions for science, about science, about religion, the study of religion and about conflict, peace and tolerance open up.

Organized panel, English
Osawa, Chieko

University of Tokyo, Japan

Religion in the Fantasy Story of Kenji Miyazawa(01M)

Kenji Miyazawa is a celebrated fantasy author of children's literature who was simultaneously a promoter of the faith in the Lotus Sutra. He believed that fantasy for children which includes religious views could take us to the realm of truth in which lies beyond reality. He rewrote his fantasy story especially The Night of Galaxy Express because of the changes in his religious views in spite of the fact that he was still an ascetic of the Lotus Sutra. The Night of Galaxy Express is the most important work of Kenji Miyazawa. This fantasy supplies essential aspects of death and life, peace and God. Here we can find the deference of his religious views in his last years.

Organized panel, English
Osawa, Koji

Taisho University, Japan

The International Buddhist Society and the Notion of 'East Asian Buddhism'(12M)

This presentation will discuss the history and activities of the International Buddhist Society (Kokusai Bukkyo Kyokai) and provide a reconsideration of the Society's views on Asian Buddhism. The International Buddhist Society was founded in 1933 with INOUE Tetsujiro as its head. One of its main activities was the dissemination of information and research on Buddhism abroad. Eventually, the Society came under the control of the Japanese state and conducted pacification operations among the Buddhists of Japanese-occupied Asia. The organization was disbanded with Japan's defeat in World War II. This presentation will elucidate one aspect of the pan-Asian thought that allowed Japanese Buddhists to cooperate in the Japanese state's expansion into Asia.

Organized panel, English
Ota, Toshihiro

Tokyo University, Japan

Religious Language(08T)

*chairperson

Organized panel
Ota, Toshihiro

Tokyo University, Japan

The "Word with Power" in Christian Orthodox and Gnosticism(08T)

It might be impossible for scholars to disregard Speech Act Theory as advocated by J. L. Austin, when the relation between "words" and "power" is considered. In his primary work How to Do Things with Words, Austin assumes "there must exist an accepted conventional procedure having a certain conventional effect" as the first condition of forming a performative statement. He also describes that "it applied to all ceremonial acts, not merely verbal ones," and clarifies a strong relationship between Speech Act Theory and ritual practice. In this presentation, I will aim to expose one comparative pattern of relation between "words" and "power" as seen in religious rites, by analyzing the conflict generated between Christian orthodoxy and Gnosticism in late antiquity.

Organized panel, English
Otani, Eiichi

Toyo University, Japan

Missionary activities of Nichiren Buddhism in East Asia(12M)

In my presentation I will examine the missionary activities of the Nichiren school of Japanese Buddhism in East Asia during the modern era. Particular attention will be paid to the activities and personality of TAKANABE Nitto (1879-1953), a Nichiren missionary in Mongolia. I will show how TAKANABE's own Asianist thought was heavily influenced by such prominent pre-war Nichiren Buddhist thinkers as TANAKA Chigaku, HONDA Nissho, and SHIMIZU Ryozan. I will also give an outline of Nichiren school activities throughout East Asia. In conclusion, I will elucidate the political significance of TAKANABE's thought and activities in particular, as well as the activities of Japanese Buddhism in East Asia in general, by situating them in their general historical context.

Organized panel, English
Owen, Suzanne

University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Inter-Tribal Borrowing among Native North Americans(06G)

Many Native American ceremonies appropriated by non-natives are modeled on Plains Indian traditions. Through pan-Indian movements and intertribal gatherings, these ceremonies have also spread to indigenous communities right across the North American continent. In eastern Canada, many Mi'kmaq identify with the pan-Indian movement and individual testimonies indicate an extensive inter-tribal sharing of ceremonies and traditional knowledge between various tribes. Unlike most non-native appropriations, which have incurred hostile reactions, Mi'kmaq borrowings maintain the protocols established by Plains Indians. Is this evidence of a growing homogeneous, universal pan-Indianism, or is there room for adaptation and combination with local and other traditions? Are Native American ceremonies restricted to ethnically Native American or indigenous people, or can pan-Indian or specific traditions be practised by anyone?

Organized panel, English
Oyama (Ugajin), Tokuko

The Association of Japanese Intellectual History, Japan

Special Characteristics of The Japanese Kami Concept: Shinto's Point of Contact with Christianity in Japanese History and Today's Cosmic Theory(01P)

In this paper I explain the points of contact between Shinto "Kami" and the Christian "God." This, along with the concept of "Kami" in Yoshida Shinto, which originated during the Northern and Southern Courts Period and was later developed by Yoshida Kanetomo and Yoshida Nobukata, has much in common with present-day theories of the universe. If the doctrines of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and Shinto are to be applicable in our world, they must share points of contact with science. Lastly, I suggest that in humankind's diverse and globalized future, Shintoism's characteristic of accepting and tolerating other religions without losing its own identity will be vital.

Organized panel, English
Ozaki, Makoto

Sanyo Gakuen University, Japan

The Last Time as the Hidden Beginning(17R)

Zhuang-Zi says, "The end is identical with the beginning." This means that time is cyclic. According to Heidegger, only in the end of the first beginning, the new, other beginning appears, and God becomes the true God. In the Buddhist idea of the Mappo era as the final time, human beings can restore their own Buddha-seed lost in the far past. Although the attained Buddha is the completion of the first beginning, nevertheless, it is not yet ultimate, but penultimate. Something is still hidden within it. This is nothing but the other beginning. The other beginning, hidden in the depth of the first, does not directly and by itself appear in history. But, on the contrary, solely in the end of the first beginning (I.e., the Mappo era), the hidden beginning arises in history. The end returns to its eternal beginning and reveals its original essence in history.

Organized panel, English
Ozervarli, M. Sait

Center for Islamic Studies, Turkey

Religion and Modernization: The Question of Change and Continuity in Modern Ottoman-Islamic Thought(01O)

The modernizing and changing cultural atmosphere of the late Ottoman Empire, cultivated a new generation of religious scholars. Worried by the materialistic aspect of modern thought, most of late Ottoman scholars, who had a religious background, became interested in the issues of religion and modernization. Unlike the materialists, they followed an alternative path of modernization combining traditional heritage with modern ideas and methods. Among them, a middle group of intellectuals and scholars, concentrated on avoiding radical modernist and strict scriptualist interpretations. They acknowledged the need for modernization and at the same time emphasized the importance of maintaining the traditional cultural identity of Muslim individuals and society. The aim was to discover the changes in modern sciences and philosophy and use them for the establishment of a new methodology for contemporary Ottoman thought. There were two purposes in this effort: First to reach new syntheses in the reinterpretation of Islamic thought, and secondly, to minimize the influence of the materialistic aspects of Western philosophy on Ottoman thought and culture. In this paper, I will evaluate these ideas by focusing on specific cases of selected personalities of modern Ottoman thinkers.

Organized panel, English
Pace, Vincenzo

University of Padova, Italy

Islam and Human Rights: a Sociological Perspective(06W)

The Cairo Declaration (1990) on Islam and Human Rights sums up the social, political and religious contradictions the Muslim world must cope with, when it tries to find a compromise between the modern culture of rights, on the one hand, and the claim for the superiority of the Quranic Law, on the other. Many discrepancies arise from the confrontation between the Quranic Law and the paradigm of Human Rights: in the matter of the treatment of religious minorities, apostasy, rules concerning the so called Personal Code (majalla) and gender discrimination. This paper deals with the socio-religious genealogy of these contradictions by arguing that the lack of legitimacy of authority represents the source of the conflicts within Islam, since the death of the Prophet up to the present time.

Organized panel, English
Pace, Vincenzo

University of Padova, Italy

Joint Session with SISR in Honor of Dr.Abe, Dr. Anzai and Dr. Wilson: "The Dialogue among Civilizations through the Sociology of Religion"(12I)

*respondent

Organized panel
Pachis, Panayotis

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Imagistic Modes of Religiosity in the Graeco-Roman World(13T)

The panel on "imagistic modes of religiosity" will assess the predictions of a "divergent modes of religiosity" theory proposed by the British anthropologist Harvey Whitehouse. According to this theory, in which Whitehouse proposes an "imagistic" and a "doctrinal" modes of religiosity, "imagistic" does not simply refer to religious traditions that employ images, which, of course, most all do. Rather, the imagistic mode of religion refers to a cognitively based set of variables which involves varying levels of initiatory arousal, the activation of a specific system of memory, and spontaneous exegetical learning which result in small-scale, exclusive, intensively cohesive groups that are uncentralized and ideologically heterogenous. At first glance, this "imagistic" set of variables would seem to describe many of the diverse expressions of religiosity in the Graeco-Roman world, from the Hellenistic mystery cults to the early Christianities. While panelists may present alternative cognitive, social or historical approaches in their presentations, all will engage the utility of the Whitehouse theory for the historical study of Graeco-Roman religions.

Organized panel, * Session Abstract, English
Pachis, Panayotis

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Imagistic Modes of Religiosity in the Cult of Isis/Sarapis during the Graeco Roman Era(14T)

The cult of Isis/Sarapis can be placed within the framework of Harvey Whitehouse's theory on the Modes of Religiosity, and especially within the context of the imagistic mode. This conclusion is suggested by the fact that all the psychological as well the sociopolitical features predicted by Whitehouse's theory are to be found in this Hellenistic cult. Consequently, we are able to give a further explanation for the structure and especially for the appeal of this cult among the people of the Graeco-Roman world. This latter conclusion is reinforced by the complementary value of the cults rituals in relation to those of the traditional religion of this period, as well as by the accentuation of the goddess's absolute power. Central to the cult's appeal was its initiation rite, a moment of arousing pageantry. This pageantry activated episodic memory, precipitating in participants a "spontaneous exegetical reflection" that led to a diversity of religious expression, as well as to a strong sense of connectedness among initiates. The Isis/Sarapis cult was widely spread by wandering groups throughout the Graeco-Roman world.

Organized panel, English
Paden, William

University of Vermont, USA

Patterns of Worldmaking Behaviors: Panhuman Bases of Comparative Perspective(06K)

This paper shows how notions of panhuman behavioral dispositions, particularly social dispositions, provide a naturalized framework for identifying cross-cultural patterns in religion. The notion of worldmaking as a group behavior conceptually bridges the discourse of biological niche-making and the humanistic analysis of life-worlds, acknowledging our natural inheritance as life forms who build environments, and our cultural inheritance as peoples and ''insiders", who inhabit particularized domains of meaning. Worldmaking thus links human ethology with some fundamental "history of religions" parameters. Worldmaking involves a repertoire of evolved behaviors. For example, it is our social nature to inhabit a world by inventing and transmitting pasts, by conveying charismatic status to certain objects, or by engaging in the constraints of loyalty and submission behaviors.

Symposium, English
Paden, William

University of Vermont, USA

Japanese Views on Western Scholars of the Study of Religion(10Q)

*chairperson

Organized panel
Pagel, Ulrich

School of Oriental and African Studies, Great Britain

Stupas and Stupa Worship in Mahayana Sutra Literature: Ritual and Function(04M)

To date, with the exception of A Bareau's (1960s) and G Schopen's (1990s) work on monasticism, there has been comparatively little effort to link the archaeological and epigraphical evidence to data on stupas found in textual sources. In the course of my paper I propose to investigate the role of stupas and stupa worship in Mahayana sutra literature. I will structure my analysis as follows: first, I shall use data derived from texts belonging to a variety of chronological strata within the Kanjur with the aim of presenting of cross section of ideas and practices related to stupas; second, I shall examine a small group of texts that contain particularly rich expositions about stupa worship, including the Avalokanasutra, Caityapradaksinasutra and Pradapadaniyasutra. While most of these do not display features that would allow us to identify them unambiguously as Mahayana sutras, their descriptions of stupa worship match surprisingly well current thinking about the cultic origins of the Mahayana and its ritualistic development of later centuries.

Organized panel, English