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Zusatztext The book offers many new insights into Agonshu ... This book is an excellent starting point for future comparative research on the aging of contemporary movements. I highly recommend this book to scholars and students in the field of religious studies and to a general audience with an interest in contemporary society and politics in Japan. Informationen zum Autor Erica Baffelli is Senior Lecturer in Japanese Studies at the University of Manchester, UK. Ian Reader is Professor Emeritus at the University of Manchester, UK. Klappentext "This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. This book examines the trajectory and development of the Japanese religious movement Agonshu and its charismatic founder Kiriyama Seiyu. Based on field research spanning 30 years, it examines Agonshu from when it first captured attention in the 1980s with its spectacular rituals and use of media technologies, through its period of stagnation to its response to the death of its founder in 2016. The authors discuss the significance of charismatic leadership, the 'democratisation' of practice and the demands made by movements such as Agonshu on members, while examining how the movement became increasingly focused on revisionist nationalism and issues of Japanese identity. In examining the dilemma that religions commonly face on the deaths of charismatic founders, Erica Baffelli and Ian Reader look at Agonshu's response to Kiriyama's death, looking at how and why it has transformed a human founder into a figure of worship. By examining Agonshu in the wider context, the authors critically examine the concept of 'new religions'. They draw attention to the importance of understanding the trajectories of 'new' religions and how they can become 'old' even within their first generation.Examines modern a Japanese religion and its founder, exploring issues of charisma, the concept of 'new religions' and how movements may age and change within their first generation of leadership. Zusammenfassung “This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. This book examines the trajectory and development of the Japanese religious movement Agonshu and its charismatic founder Kiriyama Seiyu. Based on field research spanning 30 years, it examines Agonshu from when it first captured attention in the 1980s with its spectacular rituals and use of media technologies, through its period of stagnation to its response to the death of its founder in 2016. The authors discuss the significance of charismatic leadership, the 'democratisation' of practice and the demands made by movements such as Agonshu on members, while examining how the movement became increasingly focused on revisionist nationalism and issues of Japanese identity. In examining the dilemma that religions commonly face on the deaths of charismatic founders, Erica Baffelli and Ian Reader look at Agonshu’s response to Kiriyama's death, looking at how and why it has transformed a human founder into a figure of worship. By examining Agonshu in the wider context, the authors critically examine the concept of ‘new religions’. They draw attention to the importance of understanding the trajectories of 'new' religions and how they can become ‘old’ even within their first generation. Inhaltsverzeichnis List of Figures Acknowledgements Note on Japanese names, terms and transliteration Introduction 1. Situating Agonshu: the concept of 'new religions' in modern Japan 2. The story of a religious founder: Kiriyama Seiyu, turmoil, charisma and experience 3. Teaching as practice: ritual, benefits and the costs of devotion 4. From the world to Japan: the nationalism of an ageing movement 5. Transcending death: the birth and spiritual messa...
