Satoko Fujiwara – författare

Does religion bring peace or war? In order to discuss this fundamental question, it is essential to reflect upon religious education that shapes the views of religion among young generations. This book has developed from the special panel on "Religious Education and Peace" for the 19th World Congress of the International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR), the largest international organization in religious studies, which took place in Tokyo in March 2005. Its international contributors discuss the kinds of religious education used for peace education that is attempted or needed, in their respective societies faced with tensions and conflicts, not only between different religions but also between religion and secularism. This is the first book in the field that includes both Asian and Western writers (from Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Israel, Germany, Spain, UK and USA). It is an innovative attempt to build a bridge between the study of religion/religious education and peace education. This book was previously published as a special issue of British Journal of Religious Education

This Element explores emerging forms of religiosity among Japanese young adults. It argues that existing frameworks are insufficient to capture the nuances of youth religiosity in the Era of Virtuality. It introduces the concepts of "2.5-dimensional religion" and "subjective ritualization" to explain how young people engage with digital, fictional, and embodied practices that blur the boundaries between reality and imagination. Drawing from examples such as oshi-katsu (fandom-based devotional practices), 2.5-D musicals, tulpa creation, and anime pilgrimage, it identifies a shift from narrative-based subjective myths to embodied and participatory subjective rituals. It demonstrates the ways that contemporary Japanese youth express their religiosity through affective ties, performative engagements, and layered identities in both physical and digital environments. The Element contributes a new theoretical lens for understanding religion across cultures in an age defined by fragmented identities, technological mediation, and the search for connection through affectively charged, often playful, quasi-religious practices.

This Element explores emerging forms of religiosity among Japanese young adults. It argues that existing frameworks are insufficient to capture the nuances of youth religiosity in the Era of Virtuality. It introduces the concepts of "2.5-dimensional religion" and "subjective ritualization" to explain how young people engage with digital, fictional, and embodied practices that blur the boundaries between reality and imagination. Drawing from examples such as oshi-katsu (fandom-based devotional practices), 2.5-D musicals, tulpa creation, and anime pilgrimage, it identifies a shift from narrative-based subjective myths to embodied and participatory subjective rituals. It demonstrates the ways that contemporary Japanese youth express their religiosity through affective ties, performative engagements, and layered identities in both physical and digital environments. The Element contributes a new theoretical lens for understanding religion across cultures in an age defined by fragmented identities, technological mediation, and the search for connection through affectively charged, often playful, quasi-religious practices.

Does religion bring peace or war? In order to discuss this fundamental question, it is essential to reflect upon religious education that shapes the views of religion among young generations. This book has developed from the special panel on "Religious Education and Peace" for the 19th World Congress of the International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR), the largest international organization in religious studies, which took place in Tokyo in March 2005. Its international contributors discuss the kinds of religious education used for peace education that is attempted or needed, in their respective societies faced with tensions and conflicts, not only between different religions but also between religion and secularism. This is the first book in the field that includes both Asian and Western writers (from Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Israel, Germany, Spain, UK and USA). It is an innovative attempt to build a bridge between the study of religion/religious education and peace education. This book was previously published as a special issue of British Journal of Religious Education

Global Phenomenologies of Religion offers a new way of looking at the past, current and future trajectory of the study of religion. The phenomenology of religion was once widely acknowledged to be the core of the study of religion as an autonomous discipline. First used as a term by the Dutch scholar Chantepie de la Saussaye in 1887, it was developed by Gerardus van der Leeuw in the 1930s and 40s, became popular in the 1960s and 70s and then met severe criticism, virtually disappearing by the beginning of the twenty-first century.This book adds to our global understanding of the history of the study of religion. Interviews with scholars from ten different countries offer a lived history, covering more than half a century. The resulting picture is diverse and nuanced, revealing important national and regional differences, and challenging long-held views about the rise and decline of this venerable approach to the study of religion.

Global Phenomenologies of Religion offers a new way of looking at the past, current and future trajectory of the study of religion. The phenomenology of religion was once widely acknowledged to be the core of the study of religion as an autonomous discipline. First used as a term by the Dutch scholar Chantepie de la Saussaye in 1887, it was developed by Gerardus van der Leeuw in the 1930s and 40s, became popular in the 1960s and 70s and then met severe criticism, virtually disappearing by the beginning of the twenty-first century.This book adds to our global understanding of the history of the study of religion. Interviews with scholars from ten different countries offer a lived history, covering more than half a century. The resulting picture is diverse and nuanced, revealing important national and regional differences, and challenging long-held views about the rise and decline of this venerable approach to the study of religion.

This volume emerges from the dynamic IAHR Special Conference held in Tokyo, December 2023, where scholars engaged in vigorous debate on the role of scientific objectivity in the study of religions. The debate featured two distinct perspectives: one advocating for the preservation of scientific neutrality, free from religious or political agendas, and the other promoting the integration of social relevance and addressing societal issues. This volume delves into the complexities of these discussions, exploring regional biases, the definition and articulation of “science,” and the balance between objectivity and cultural-historical perspectives. It aims to expand on the presentations and discussions from the conference, adding insights into the historical context of this debate, the role of science in the study of religions, and the need for an updated understanding of science within the IAHR.Readers are invited to contemplate the nuanced relationship between science and the study of religions, especially in a global context. This volume questions whether scholars of religion are merely reiterating past discussions without significant progress since the IAHR’s establishment, or if they are now equipped to address these issues with more sophisticated arguments and vocabularies, acknowledging the complexity of these debates. The need for such in-depth discussion among international scholars has increased in recent years, not only because of the ongoing debate on decolonization but also in light of the changing social climate, including wars and other political crises.