The different Shintō in Japan after Meiji Restoration: Definitions and scope

• Autor(a) principal: Luiz, Leonardo Henrique
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Oficina do Historiador
• Texto Completo: https://revistaseletronicas.pucrs.br/ojs/index.php/oficinadohistoriador/article/view/37634
• topic: Japanese religion; Shintō; Kami; State Shintō; Religiões japonesas; Xintoísmos; Kami; Xintoísmo de Estado

The purpose of this text is to propose conceptual ways of approaching the different expressions of Shinto. We departure from the events surrounding the Meiji Restoration (1868) to suggest at least three forms of religion expression: the first as manifestations of supernatural figures and the worship of local deities (神 – kami); the second named Jinja Shintō (神社神道) is understood as encompass local shrines (神社 – Jinja) and the religious institutions linked to the families of priests; the third linked to the Japanese state (国家神道 – Kōkka Shintō). From the theoretical perspective, religiosity is understood from the works of Mircea Eliade (2010), while the concept of religion is approached through the elaboration of Pierre Bourdieu (2005). Theses theoretical approach are relaxed from reflection on what is religion in Japan (SHIMAZONO, 2005) and how the western concept of religion was translated into Japanese (KRAMER, 2013). As a result, we seek to demonstrate the existence of the various Shinto and that, therefore, the approaches to religion should be flexible aiming at particular manifestations of the phenomenon.