The Japanese Journal of Religious Studies is a peer-reviewed journal specializing in the publication of research on the study of Japanese religions. The journal aims for a multidisciplinary approach to the study of religion in Japan, and submissions are welcomed from scholars in all fields of the humanities and social sciences.
Images of the Buddha are everywhere—not just in temples but also in museums and homes and online—but what these images mean largely depends on the background and circumstance of those viewing them. In Behold the Buddha, James Dobbins invites readers to imagine how premodern Japanese Buddhists understood and experienced icons in temple settings long before the advent of museums and the internet. Although widely portrayed in the last century as visual emblems of great religious truths or as exquisite works of Asian art, Buddhist images were traditionally treated as the very embodiment of the Buddha, his palpable presence among people. Hence, Buddhists approached them as living entities in their own right—that is, as awakened icons with whom they could interact religiously. Dobbins begins by reflecting on art museums, where many non-Buddhists first encounter images of the Buddha, before outlining the complex Western response to them in previous centuries. He next elucidates images as visual representations of the story of the Buddha’s life followed by an overview of the physical attributes and symbolic gestures found in Buddhist iconography. A variety of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and other divinities commonly depicted in Japanese Buddhism is introduced, and their “living” quality discussed in the context of traditional temples and Buddhist rituals. Finally, other religious objects in Japanese Buddhism—relics, scriptures, inscriptions, portraits of masters, and sacred sites—are explained using the Buddhist icon as a model. Dobbins concludes by contemplating art museums further as potential sites for discerning the religious character of Buddhist images. Those interested in Buddhism generally who would like to learn more about its rich iconography—whether encountered in temples or museums—will find much in this concise, well-illustrated volume to help them “behold the Buddha.”
The Japanese Journal of Religious Studies is a peer-reviewed journal specializing in the publication of research on the study of Japanese religions. The journal aims for a multidisciplinary approach to the study of religion in Japan, and submissions are welcomed from scholars in all fields of the humanities and social sciences.
The Japanese Journal of Religious Studies is a peer-reviewed journal specializing in the publication of research on the study of Japanese religions. The journal aims for a multidisciplinary approach to the study of religion in Japan, and submissions are welcomed from scholars in all fields of the humanities and social sciences.
The Japanese Journal of Religious Studies is a peer-reviewed journal registered as an Open Access Journal. It publishes articles and materials that advance interreligious understanding and further the pursuit of knowledge in the study of religion, particularly Japanese religion. One of its functions is to break through the language barriers that separate Japanese scholarship in religion from the international scene.
The Japanese Journal of Religious Studies is a peer-reviewed journal specializing in the publication of research on the study of Japanese religions. The journal aims for a multidisciplinary approach to the study of religion in Japan, and submissions are welcomed from scholars in all fields of the humanities and social sciences.
The Japanese Journal of Religious Studies is a peer-reviewed journal registered as an Open Access Journal. It publishes articles and materials that advance interreligious understanding and further the pursuit of knowledge in the study of religion, particularly Japanese religion. One of its functions is to break through the language barriers that separate Japanese scholarship in religion from the international scene.
Providing an overview of current cutting-edge research in the field of Japanese religions, this Handbook is the most up-to-date guide to contemporary scholarship in the field. As well as charting innovative research taking place, this book also points to new directions for future research, covering both the modern and pre-modern periods. Edited by Erica Baffelli, Andrea Castiglioni, and Fabio Rambelli, The Bloomsbury Handbook of Japanese Religions includes essays by international scholars from the USA, Europe, Japan, and New Zealand. Topics and themes include gender, politics, the arts, economy, media, globalization, and colonialism. The Bloomsbury Handbook of Japanese Religions is an essential reference point for upper-level students and scholars of Japanese religions as well as Japanese Studies more broadly.
The Japanese Journal of Religious Studies is a peer-reviewed journal registered as an Open Access Journal. It publishes articles and materials that advance interreligious understanding and further the pursuit of knowledge in the study of religion, particularly Japanese religion. One of its functions is to break through the language barriers that separate Japanese scholarship in religion from the international scene.