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定量/定性研究结合起来研究当代日本宗教。在更广泛的全球动力学领域内，该项目侧重于(1)全球社会中宗教价值观的相对化，以及(2)宗教与其他全球社会子系统之间的关系。在第一部分中，我们考察了日本宗教界对世界范围内日益增加的其他宗教的态度，揭示了宗教间对话、包容主义和文化民族主义的交织。价值观的相对化、文化民族主义和杂交/全球本土化之间的相互作用已经在研究的另一个子领域进行了探讨，该研究的重点是最近日本佛教作为“绿色”宗教的重塑（以全球环境主义为模式），偶尔嵌入日本宗教（接近自然）和西方文化（人类中心主义）的修辞对立。海外访问团Jôdo Shinshû也在夏威夷进行了研究。与当地成员进行的深入访谈表明，存在与日本发生的杂交过程明显不同的过程，例如采用冥想，这在日本是强烈不鼓励的Jôdo Shinshû。至于研究项目的第二部分，我们把重点放在了新的宗教组织Risshô Kôseikai上。该组织不组建自己的政党，也不允许本组织的官员直接参与政治，但通常在选举时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，宗教和政治的功能差异可能在个人和机构层面上以不同的方式被感知。除了Risshô Kôseikai之外，其他宗教组织最初也被选为本研究项目的个案研究对象。不幸的是，有一个案例（Jôdoshû）的回答率太低。在另一个案例（Sôtôshû）中，经过长时间的谈判，成员之间进行研究的许可被拒绝。不幸的是，多次尝试接触日本的其他宗教组织都没有成功。上述因素要求重新调整概念，并严重拖延了研究。因此，剩下的六个月将是收集项目所需数据的必要时间。鉴于在过去几个月里，一些不可预测的因素推迟了计划中的研究工作，以及报告中所述的现有任务，可以合理地假设，将需要相当多的额外时间（12个月）来完成该项目，并完成应该使其定稿的专著的编写过程。

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.