Abstract/Sommario: Shrine Shinto in Japan is originally the religion of the local community and of the clan. Moreover, it has for more than a thousand years coexisted with Buddhism. On the side of Shinto there did not exist a systematized doctrine or outstanding scriptures which could be used as premises for doctrinal disputes, like those within Buddhism. Even the True Pure Land Sect, which can be considered to be a sort of monotheism rare in Japan, did not deny the existence of the myriads of gods. Its ...; [Leggi tutto...]
Shrine Shinto in Japan is originally the religion of the local community and of the clan. Moreover, it has for more than a thousand years coexisted with Buddhism. On the side of Shinto there did not exist a systematized doctrine or outstanding scriptures which could be used as premises for doctrinal disputes, like those within Buddhism. Even the True Pure Land Sect, which can be considered to be a sort of monotheism rare in Japan, did not deny the existence of the myriads of gods. Its followers simply did not worship them. In Shinto freedom of religion never became a conscious proposition, as Shinto faith was not a fixed given. A person who is a Shinto believer can at the same time have faith in other religions. At the time that the Meiji Restoration Government started to promote its State Shinto policy, many Shinto sects came into conflict with the government and, even more than the traditional Buddhist sects they were subjected to persecution, being considered to obstruct the authority of the Emperor and the establishment of State Shinto