2001 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
The Interaction between Religion and Culture
| Project/Area Number |
12610027
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Religious studies
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| Research Institution | Hokkaido University |
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Principal Investigator |
UTSUNOMIYA Teruo Hokkaido Univ., Grad. School of Let., Prof., 文学研究科, 教授 (40109400)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
TSUCHIYA Hiroshi Hokkaido Univ., Grad. School of Let., Prof., 文学研究科, 教授 (30000607)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2000 – 2001
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| Keywords | Modernization / Secularization / Fundamentalism / Globalization / Human Rights / Christianity / Durkheim / Simmel |
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| Research Abstract |
Utsunomiya sees the greatest characteristics of modern society in the plurality of modern social life which is caused by the division of labor Modern society is one which includes various forms of life and one where individuals are living according to variety of values corresponding to various forms of life. In this situation the personalities of individuals become diverse and therefore distinguishable. Only here and for the first time in the history of mankind the notion of "individual" emerged, and so did that of "dignity of individual" or "respect of individuality". This is the social basis of the fact that "human rights" has become a common value in industially advanced societies,even a kind of religion of moren times. Utsunomiya's article "Postmodern Pluralistic Society and Its Religiosity" discusses this point in detail.
Is there any function of religion which can last in spite of the change of society and culture? Utsunomiya takes up religion's function of constructing one's identity with the help of which one understands one's life as integrated. One's life, in reality, consists of countless fragments of living. Those fragments closely relate to one another and form a system as a whole. Furthermore, they provide a historical view of one's life, that is an autobiography. In short, one sees and accepts one's whole life as a coherent story. Religions have given models of such stories so far. Utsunomiya's two papers "Spiritual Care and Religion" and "Religion as a Story of One's Life" aim to explicate this function of religion.
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