Japanese Religion and Society

Explores how religion has shaped Japan's social structure, economic development, modernization, and national identity through a critical analysis of historical and contemporary Japanese society. What role has religion played in the making of Japanese society? How have spiritual traditions influenced economic growth, social conflict, national identity, and modernization? In Japanese Religion and Society, acclaimed scholar Winston Davis offers a compelling exploration of the dynamic relationship between religion and social life in Japan. Moving beyond stereotypes and simplistic theories of "Japanese uniqueness," Davis examines the institutions, beliefs, and cultural tensions that have shaped Japan's transformation into a modern nation. Through insightful studies of pilgrimage movements, Buddhism and modernization, civil religion, secularization, and economic development, this groundbreaking work reveals religion not as a static tradition, but as an active force in social change. Combining rigorous scholarship with engaging analysis, Davis challenges both Western and Japanese interpretations of Japan's cultural identity while opening new perspectives on the study of religion and society itself.