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Distinguishing between philosophy of religious studies as intra-scientific methodological reflection and philosophy of religion as extra-scientific commitment to values, this article demonstrates the benefits of integrating both, applying critical reflection to the latter as well. As a case study, it focuses on Jonathan Z. Smith's concepts of humanity and history. Smith's strategic blend of history and morphology aligns with his extra-scientific vision of humanity, which derived not merely from methodological choices but from philosophical reflection. By comparing Smith's structuralist arguments with Lévi-Straussian structuralism – interpreted as antihumanism – the article reveals that Smith's humanistic orientation was embedded in North-American social and academic contexts. It thus advocates for a nuanced examination of religious studies' philosophical underpinnings, suggesting that, without such analysis, the work of even empirical scholars like Smith might be misconstrued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the transformation of religious and non-religious practices in contemporary Japanese youth culture. The article employs both western analysis of 'nones' and Japanese theories to explain this transformation. Three concepts characterize (non-)religiousness in Japanese youth culture: 'practicing belonging', 'vicarious spirituality', and 'gendered fetishism'. These concepts are first exemplified in a culture surrounding the concept of 'tulpa' (created paranormal beings, derived from Tibetan Buddhism) in Japan. Other examples reflecting each of these concepts are presented, along with a discussion of why Japanese youth culture came to manifest such characteristics. In so doing, we will refrain from drawing a rigid line between religious and non-religious settings, acknowledging that what may appear religious to Japanese scholars may not be viewed as such by western scholars. The factors behind the transformation of religiousness in Japan affect not only religious and spiritual but also non-religious or secular settings, resulting in parallel phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay is part of a collection of short essays solicited from authors around the globe who teach religion courses at the college level (not for professional religious training). They are published together with an introduction in "Teaching Theology and Religion" 18:3 (July 2015). The authors were asked to provide a brief overview of the curriculum, student learning goals, and pedagogical techniques employed in their courses.

Although inter-religious conflicts have not yet surfaced as major social problems in Japan, religious education for peace and tolerance is needed in the country as much as in other countries. This article aims to disclose that, in light of political contexts, supposedly neutral "teaching about religion" can be as problematic as history education is in Japan. The central problem lies in how to represent the nationalistic aspects of Shinto to the "non-religious" majority of Japanese. While each nation has its own variety of "civil religion", Shinto, being an ethnic religion, can be entangled with nationalism more than other kinds of religion. I will begin by explaining the prejudice of "non-religious" Japanese people against religion as a background to the discussion of religious education in Japan. I will then take an example from a recent children's book and critique the politics of teaching about religion, in particular, Shinto in contrast with other religions. By employing my own survey data, I will also show how small the presence of Shinto is in Japanese education, even in higher education, where religious education is conducted most freely. I will further explain historically why this is so and what kind of problems the issue has been causing. (Contains 3 figures and 15 notes.)

The future of the study of religion/s cannot be aptly discussed without considering the future of all academic studies (the humanities, social and natural sciences). Based on my experience as a board member of the Science Council of Japan, I argue that there are two major urgent challenges that are shared by, but not unique to, academic studies conducted in Japan: namely, how and to what degree to meet demands for social relevance; and what to do with the Euro-Western model of modern sciences. I will focus on the former, which stems from the relationships between scholarship and state governance. Scholars of religion/s may miss opportunities to contribute to interdisciplinary debates if they continue identifying applied studies primarily with theology or interfaith enterprises, while being satisfied with neo-empiricism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article suggests a way for scholars of Japanese religion to contribute to the international discussion on "nones" or the "non-religious," who have been characterized as "believing without belonging," "belonging without believing," "believing in belonging," etc. by integrating three different discursive arenas: one on multiple secularities as a context-conscious reexamination of functional differentiation; one on Japanese modernization centered on the idea of ie (household)- mura (village community); and one on a recent Japanese obsession with tsunagari (relationships, connection) and shōnin (recognition). The article argues that Japanese non-religiousness in the 2010s is an updated, self-conscious version of "religion as human relationships," which can be paraphrased as "practicing belonging." Moreover, while the current "religion as human relationships" practiced among young people tends to be confined to the intimate sphere, its traditional version regulated the public sphere as well. It was this public sphere of "religion as human relationships" that came to appear secular, as opposed to World Religions as matters of personal choice, in the process of modernization, which included the adoption of the Western concepts of "religion" and "secular." The article also suggests that a "relationships turn" has been taking place not only in nonreligious rituals and festivals but also in spiritual culture and institutionalized religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how the representations of Buddhism in religious education (RE) textbooks and their social meanings have changed in England. Buddhism first appeared in RE textbooks in England in the early 1960s. In the 1970s, Ninian Smart's phenomenological approach gradually prevailed. Although it is now regarded as a typical "world religions" approach, phenomenological textbooks commonly did not include Buddhism, because of the advent of political multiculturalism. Buddhism re-entered into textbooks in the mid-1980s. In the 2000s, the Department for Children, Schools and Families made it a duty for schools to promote "community cohesion." This has resulted in notable changes in the representations of Buddhism in textbooks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japanese universities are currently facing significant challenges that affect the study of religion in Japan in various ways. Against this backdrop, this special issue is a response from a group of Japanese scholars to the inaugural issue of this journal on "Religion and the Secular in the Japanese Context." Contributors of this issue have chosen concrete, recent cases that appear to be "post-secular"--if based on the conventional (i.e., modern Western) concept of religion--and attempt to explicate the multifaceted dynamics of these cases through further analysis and broader contextualization. This Introduction clarifies their arguments by comparing them with debates on the same topic, in particular the contested border between religion and politics, given by representative Japanese scholars of religion during the 1980s and the 1990s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]