Sociological Studies about Potentiality of Japanese New Religion under Globalization

本研究为期三年，其初步成果及未来研究的工作假设如下：新教美国是全球化主导国美国最广泛接受的日本新宗教。SGI最初是作为一些与美国军人结婚并移民到美国的日本“战争新娘”的宗教来到美国的。这是这种教义传播的开始，不分国籍和种族。在最初的一段时间后，SGI-USA开始从西海岸，特别是洛杉矶的年轻人那里招募新成员，他们在反文化时代寻求自己的身份。20世纪70年代，日裔美国人和嬉皮士都推动了SGI-USA向美国化的最大推进。通过将教义翻译成英语，增加美国人的领导地位和适应美国的习俗，SGI在20世纪80年代和90年代逐渐转向美国化。结果，各行各业的皈依者数量增加，SGI-USA在种族和社会阶层方面享有多样化的成员，那里的人们处于全球化所带来的极端紧张状态。在文化上，SGI基于尼希伦佛教的教义强调这个世界的救赎，而不是基督教的克制、禁欲主义和原罪伦理，这适应了一个竞争激烈的美国社会，在这个社会里，崛起的意图很强烈。

The tentative outcome of this three-year, research on SGI-USA and a working hypothesis for future research are as follows.SGI-USA is the most widely accepted Japanese new religion in the leading country of globalization, the USA. SGI fist arrived in the USA as the religion of some Japanese "Senso-Hanayome (literally "war brides)" who married American servicemen and immigrated into the U.S.A. It was the beginning for the teachings to spread regardless of nationality or race.After an initial period, SGI-USA began recruiting new members from the Tyoung in the west coast, especially in Los Angeles, who were seeking their own identity in the era of the counterculture. In 1970s, both Japanese Americans and hippies gave SGI-USA its greatest forward push toward Americanization.By translating the teachings into English, increasing Americans holding leadership positions and accommodating the American custom, SGI gradually shifted toward Americanization in 1980s and 1990s.As a result, the number of converts from every walk of life has increased and SGI-USA enjoys a diverse membership in terms of ethnicity and social class in the USA, where people are in an extreme state of the tension by globalization.Soteriologically, as oppose to the Christian ethic of forbearance restraint, asceticism and the original sin, SGI's teachings based on Nichiren Buddhism emphasize this-world affirming salvation, which has suited an American competitive society, where rising intention is strong.