Formation and Development of the Modern Concept of "Religion" and Religious Studies : Comparative Study Centering around Japan

本研究阐明了当前世界范围内普遍使用的“宗教”概念和宗教学学科是特定历史条件下的产物，并对与此相关的各种问题进行了考察。现代日语单词“shukyo”是明治维新后发明的，作为西方“宗教”的翻译，后来被更广泛的公众所接受。我们调查了日本现代政治和思想体系的发展过程，在什么应该被称为“宗教”和什么不应该被称为“宗教”的问题上，存在着巨大的冲突和困惑。为了把握日本宗教观念的特点，我们必须了解“宗教”与“礼”、“教化”等相邻词语以及“国家神道”等相关词语的关系。另一方面，“宗教”的概念现在在西方也变得可疑。有人认为，西方的“宗教”概念是在特定的思维模式下形成的。对于在对宗教研究学科进行严格审查时使用这一概念所涉及的困难，提出了相关问题。我们还调查了亚洲各地的情况。在那里，我们也可以发现，越来越多的人意识到，“宗教”的概念不太适合他们各自的文化和历史情况。事实证明，与日本的情况进行比较是非常有成效的。总体而言，越来越清楚的是，“宗教”的概念包含许多模糊之处，这使得宗教研究学科的对象越来越混乱和不确定。通过这项研究，我们相信，宗教研究的方法论问题现在变得越来越紧迫。

This study has elucidated the fact that current concept of "religion" used worldwide and the academic discipline of religious studies are the product of a specific histolorical situation, and has examined the various problems related to this fact. The modern Japanese word "shukyo" was invented after Meiji Restoration as the translation of the Western "religion" and then accepted by the wider public. We have investigated the process in which the modern Japanese political and ideological system has developed with great conflicts and confusions as to what should be called "religion" and what not. We must ask the relationship between "religion(shukyo)" and neighbouring words such as "rite(saishi)" or "indoctrination(tikyo)", and related words such as "State Shinto" in order to grasp the peculiarities of the Japanese concept of religion. On the other hand the concept of "religion" has now become suspect also in the West. It has been argued that the Western concept of "religion" was formed under a certain specific thought pattern. Related issues have been vigorously raised regarding the difficulties involved using this concept in connection with the critical examination of the discipline of religious studies. We have also investigates the situation in the various parts of Asia. There, too, we can find growing awareness that the concept of "religion" does not fit well for their respective cultural and historical situation. Comparison with the Japanese situation has been proved to be very productive. Overall it has become much clearer that the concept of "religion" contains many ambiguities making the object of the discipline of religious studies growingly confusing and uncertain. Through this study we have become convinced that the methodological question of religious studies has now been becoming more and more urgent.