'Seen' as religious: social and institutional invisibility of Rissho Koseikai's youth
'Seen' as religious: social and institutional invisibility of Rissho Koseikai's youth
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“被视为”宗教：立正公成会青年时代的社会和制度隐形
DOI：
10.1080/09637494.2023.2213516
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发表时间：
2023
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Di Febo A
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Di Febo A
这篇文章探讨了日本世俗佛教团体立正青年会的年轻成员如何在一个日益脱离宗教的社会和一个迅速老龄化的宗教组织中构建他们作为少数民族的身份。我认为，年轻成员的Kōseikai经验的双重“隐形”的条件源于向外和向内边缘化的交叉点。由于对宗教（特别是新宗教）普遍存在的不信任和负面的公众看法，Kōseikai青年的社会互动被“被视为宗教”的恐惧所告知。这导致他们不愿在会众之外透露自己的宗教信仰，因为害怕遭到偏见和歧视。但在一个迅速老化的宗教机构中，他们也作为少数群体被边缘化。Kōseikai青年一直在努力调和高级成员的高期望与竞争承诺以及缺乏影响力和决策权，这限制了他们的行动能力和宗教机构。老一辈成员往往无视社会环境的变化和青年人宗教承诺的削弱，抵制了青年成员要求变革的呼吁。然而，隐形不仅是成员们的痛苦，而且是他们有意识地选择的，从而加强了他们的边缘化。
This contribution investigates how young members of the Japanese lay Buddhist group Risshō Kōseikai have constructed their identity as a minority within both a society increasingly disengaged from religion and a rapidly ageing religious organisation. I argue that younger members of Kōseikai experience a condition of double ‘invisibility’ stemming from the intersection of outward and inward marginalisation. Kōseikai youths’ social interactions are informed by a fear of ‘being seen as religious’ resulting from widespread mistrust and negative public perceptions of religion (and new religions in particular). This has translated into a reticence to disclose their religiosity outside the congregation for fear of encountering prejudice and discrimination. But they also experience marginalisation as a minority within a rapidly ageing religious institution. Kōseikai youth have struggled to reconcile the high expectations of senior members with competing commitments and a lack of influence and decision-making power, which has curtailed their capacity for action and religious agency. Members of the older generation, often oblivious to shifting social circumstances and weakening religious commitment among youth, have resisted young members’ calls for change. Invisibility, however, has not only been suffered but also consciously chosen by members, thus reinforcing their marginalisation.