In this Course we will examine the history of religions in Traditional Japan,
especially that of Japanese Buddhism, from the ancient period to the 19th
Century. The course will examine the mutual influences of political and social
changes, and of philosophical developments, on the creation of various
schools and sects in Japanese religious history (such as esoteric Buddhism,
the Pure Land and Nichiren sects, the Zen schools, and others). Several
major topics central to understanding "Japanese religion" or "religions" will be
discussed, among them: The absorption of the imported traditions - primarily
Buddhism, but also Taoism, Confucianism and Christianity - into the local rites;
"Shinto" in traditional Japan; The complex relations of Religion and State,
Religion and Society, Religion and the Arts; and the religious influences on
forming Japanese culture across the ages.