Japanese religions in the context of globalization and secularization

本研究项目于2012年3月启动，旨在将全球化理论与当代日本宗教研究中的定量/定性研究相结合。在更广泛的全球动力学领域内，该项目关注(1)宗教价值观在全球社会中的相对化，(2)宗教与其他全球社会子系统的关系。至于第一部分，我们调查了日本宗教对其他宗教在世界范围内日益存在的态度，揭示了宗教间对话、包容性和文化民族主义的交融。价值相对化、文化民族主义和杂交/全球本土化之间的相互作用在研究的另一个子领域进行了探索，该研究的另一个子领域侧重于最近将日本佛教重塑为一种“绿色”宗教(模仿全球环保主义)，其中偶尔会嵌入日本宗教(亲近自然)和西方文化(人类中心主义)在修辞上的对立。还在乔多·辛什乌的海外使团内在夏威夷进行了研究。对当地成员进行的深入采访表明，存在着与日本显著不同的杂交过程，例如采用冥想，这在日本是强烈不受欢迎的。至于研究项目的第二部分，我们关注的是新的宗教组织Risshôkôseikai。该组织不组建自己的政党，不允许该组织的官员直接参与政治，但通常在选举期间支持政党和独立候选人，试图影响政治进程。定量研究对上述问题的回应表明，宗教和政治的功能分化可能在个人和机构层面上被以不同的方式理解。除了里舍多·科塞凯之外，其他宗教组织最初被选为本研究项目的个案研究。令人遗憾的是，在一个案例(约多舒省)，答复率太低。在另一起案件(S)中，成员之间进行研究的许可在经过长时间谈判后被拒绝。不幸的是，记者多次尝试与日本其他宗教组织接触，但均未成功。上述因素要求概念上的调整，并大大推迟了研究。因此，剩下的六个月将是为该项目收集必要数据所必不可少的。鉴于前几个月延误了计划的研究的不可预测的因素和报告中说明的当前任务，有理由认为需要相当长的额外时间(12个月)来完成该项目和完成应完成该项目的专著的撰写过程。

The present research project was started in March 2012 with the aim to combine globalization theory and quantitative/qualitative research in the study of contemporary Japanese religions. Within the broader field of global dynamics, the project focuses on (1) the relativization of religious values in global society, and (2) the relationship between religion and other global societal subsystems.As for the first part, we have investigated Japanese religions' attitude toward the worldwide increasing presence of other religions, which reveals the intermingling of interreligious dialogue, inclusivism, and cultural nationalism. The interplay between the relativization of values, cultural nationalism, and hybridization/glocalization has been explored in another subfield of the research, which focuses on the recent reshaping of Japanese Buddhism as a "green" religion (patterned after global environmentalism), which occasionally embeds the rhetorical opposition of Japanese religion (closeness to nature) and western culture (anthropocentrism). Research has also been conducted in Hawaii within the overseas mission of Jôdo Shinshû. In-depth interviews conducted with local members indicate the presence of processes of hybridization that markedly differ from those occurring in Japan, such as the adoption of meditation, which is strongly discouraged in Japanese Jôdo Shinshû.As for the second part of the research project, we have focused on the new religious organization Risshô Kôseikai. This organization has refrained from forming its own political party and does not allow direct involvement in politics by officials of this organization, but customarily supports parties and independent candidates at election time in the attempt to influence the political process. Responses to the aforementioned issue emerging from quantitative research suggest that the functional differentiation of religion and politics may be perceived in different ways at the individual and institutional levels.Besides Risshô Kôseikai, other religious organizations had originally been selected as case studies for this research project. In one case (Jôdoshû) the rate of respondents was unfortunately too low. In another case (Sôtôshû), permission to conduct research among members was denied after long negotiations. Unfortunately, repeated attempts to approach other religious organizations in Japan have been unsuccessful. The aforementioned factors demanded a conceptual readjustment and have significantly delayed the research. Consequently, the six months still left will be indispensable to gather necessary data for the project.In view of the unpredictable factors that have delayed the planned research during the previous months and the incumbent tasks illustrated in the report, it is reasonable to assume that a fair amount of additional time (12 months) will be needed for the completion of the project and the writing process of the monograph that should finalize it.