Japanese new religions
Shinshūkyō (Japanese新 宗教) are New Religious Movements in Japan.
You are in Japan as Shinko shūkyō known (新兴 宗教), a word that is used less as a scientific technical term, but " rather than a word that brings a certain social assessment expressed (and usually includes a feeling of contempt ) ". Japanese religious scholars classify all founded since the mid 19th century religious organizations in Japan as Shinshūkyō, even if they are assigned to one of the traditional schools of Buddhism organizationally. Thus, the term encompasses a wide variety and number of organizations. Most of them originated mid-20th century and are of older traditional religions, especially Shinto and Buddhism but also Hinduism and Christianity influenced. Some are syncretic, others have fundamentalist trains, and many claim to be, that they were not influenced by other religions.
Critics use the term Shinshūkyō in a negative sense ( sects ) and warn you to join them, since they have doubts about their faith, their methods and goals as well as their missionary methods. An often cited example of this view is the Omu Shinrikyo, which became known internationally for its poison gas attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995. When often put forward by representatives of the traditional monastic oriented Buddhist schools criticism, but one should bear in mind that it could also be motivated by the massive emigration of their lay followers. Recent studies increasingly religious studies endeavor to avoid reviews of faith and practice of religious communities. While this approach is considered standard in scientific publications about established religions, it is not yet been applied to new religious organizations consistently.
Shinshūkyō before the Second World War
In the 1860s, Japan was marked by great social upheaval and rapid Westernization. Social conflicts came up, and with them some new religious movements, including Tenrikyo, Kurozumikyō and Oomoto. Sometimes these three Nihon Sandai Shinkōshūkyō (literally, "Japan's three major Shinshūkyō " ) are mentioned and are strongly influenced by Shinto and Shamanism.
The Meiji tennō raised the Shinto cult to the state (see State Shinto ). In the course of this political upheaval on the important Shinto -based new religions ( see also Sektenshintō ) emerged. Simultaneously, the 250 year old ban of Christianity was lifted and Christian missionaries stimulated other religious movements.
Several Buddhist influenced lay movements appeared during this time. This took on a variety of traditional law schools of Japanese Buddhism and some of them combined with new ideas. The Japanese government was these movements as suspicious and tried to suppress them. This repression was particularly pronounced in the early 20th century, when State Shinto was closely involved in the Japanese nationalism and the reputation of the respected as outlandish, superstitious and backward Buddhism among the elites reached a low point.
Statistics
There are no reliable data on the number of members of the respective organizations. The reason for this is the general problem to collect reliable figures, as many organizations offer no fixed membership and / or not these figures make open of cost. Figures therefore often based on self-reporting of the organizations.
Some important Shinshūkyō
- Aleph, formerly Omu Shinrikyo
- Bussho Gonenkai KYODAN
- Fuji Taisekiji Kenshōkai
- Izumo Ōyashirokyō
- Kōfuku no Kagaku
- Konkokyo
- Mahikari Kyodan
- Makuya
- Myochikai KYODAN
- Oomoto
- PL [ Pāfekuto Ribatī ] KYODAN
- Reiyūkai
- Rissho Kōseikai
- Seicho no Ie
- Sekai Kyūseikyō
- Shinnyo -en
- Soka Gakkai
- Sukyo Mahikari
- Tenrikyo
- Tenshō Kótai Jingūkyō