Among the most exciting developments in the study of Japanese religion over the past two decades has been the discovery of tens of thousands of ritual vessels; implements; and scapegoat dolls (hitogata) from the Nara (710-784) and early Heian (794-1185) periods. Because inscriptions on many of the items are clearly derived from Chinese rites of spirit pacification; it is now evident that previous scholarship has mischaracterized the role of Buddhism in early Japanese religion. Weaving and Binding makes a compelling argument that both the Japanese royal system and the Japanese Buddhist tradition owe much to continental rituals centered on the manipulation of yin and yang; animal sacrifice; and spirit quelling. Building on these recent archaeological discoveries; Michael Como charts an epochal transformation in the religious culture of the Japanese islands; tracing the transmission and development of fundamental paradigms of religious practice to immigrant lineages and deities from the Korean peninsula.In addition to archaeological materials; Como makes extensive use of a wide range of textual sources from across Asia; including court chronicles; poetry collections; gazetteers; temple records; and divinatory texts. As he investigates the influence of myths; legends; and rites of the ancient Chinese festival calendar on religious practice across the Japanese islands; Como shows how the ability of immigrant lineages to propitiate hostile deities led to the creation of elaborate networks of temple-shrine complexes that shaped later sectarian Shinto as well as popular understandings of the relationship between the buddhas and the gods of Japan. For much of the book; this process is examined through rites and legends from the Chinese calendar that were related to weaving; sericulture; and medicine―technologies that to a large degree were controlled by lineages with roots in the Korean peninsula and that claimed female deities and weaving maidens as founding ancestors. Como’s examination of a series of ancient Japanese legends of female immortals; weaving maidens; and shamanesses reveals that female deities played a key role in the moving of technologies and ritual practices from peripheral regions in Kyushu and elsewhere into central Japan and the heart of the imperial cult. As a result; some of the most important building blocks of the purportedly native Shinto tradition were to a remarkable degree shaped by the ancestral cults of immigrant lineages and popular Korean and Chinese religious practices. This is a provocative and innovative work that upsets the standard interpretation of early historical religion in Japan; revealing a complex picture of continental cultic practice both at court and in the countryside.
#918845 in Books Samuel Gregg 2013-10-04Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.25 x .60 x 5.25l; .65 #File Name: 0824549813272 pagesTea Party Catholic
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Don't be put off by the title!By LawProfThis is a profound investigation of catholic theory as it relates to government power and the flourishing of human beings. The author avoids trying to make the American founders catholic or make Catholicism "American." Instead; he shows how critical aspects of Catholic belief overlap or support the American theory of limited constitutional government and at least some aspects of free market economics. Along the way; he challenges common misconceptions about the Church's views of wealth creation and entrepreneurial freedom.It's a fascinating journey; but one that some readers might avoid due to the controversial terms in the title (both "tea party" and "catholic"). If you have the fortitude to carry around a book with such an inflammatory title; you can look forward to deepening your understanding of how God might actually have something to say about those matters that make up such an important part of our daily lives.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. How Catholicism and Conservatism are highly correlated.By Hopefully Satisfied in St. Louis MOExcellent book for Catholics who want to know what Theologians over the centuries have thought about individual religious freedom and how it extends to financial freedom for individuals; financial systems and capitalism versus socialism/communism. The author who is a well educated economist defends Conservatism and Capitalism with Biblical and historical references. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Some of the negative responses leave me wondering if they did; in fact; read this book.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. a clear articulation off the case for a free and virtuous societyBy RonWe'll researched; documented and reasoned positions on economic freedom; limited (and necessary) government; and a virtuous society. Clearly articulates the development of social justice from Catholic tradition. The author shows how human flourishing is a rational basis for religious; economic and societal freedom
