The Resurgence of Regional Society and the Power of Religion --- The Positivistic Study of Religion in Stricken Areas of the Hanshin Great Earthquake

1999 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 10610215
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 社会学(含社会福祉関係)
• Research Institution: SAPIENTIA UNIVERSITY
• Principal Investigator: MIKI Hizuru Sapientia University , Faculty of Intercultural Studies Associate Professor, 文学部・国際文化学科, 助教授 (60199974)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): MIURA Taro Sapientia University , Faculty of Intercultural Studies, Professor, 文学部, 教授 (50190591)
• Project Period (FY): 1998 – 1999
• Keywords: mind care / pilgrimage / religious order / diffused religion / folk religion / the other world / propitiation of the dead souls

Research Abstract

The aim of this research was to examine the possibility of religion in the disaster (Hanshin Great Earthquake)-stricken areas which are on their way to resurgence. The outcome of the research so far is as follows.
It comes to be clear that Shintoism, Buddhism, Christianity and New Religions accompanying rigid (bureaucratic) organizations can not make contribution to the revival of the striken areas any more. Because those religious orders, on the whole, have dealt with the individual problems of the adherents exclusively, so they did not (could not) broaden their outlook on the community and every people (including their adherents) living there. Tenri-kyo, for example, tried to widen its sphere of influence beyond its territory and, as a result, reached a deadlock. It is sure that there has been the anti-religious atmosphere among the sufferers.
However, it is not necessarily true that almost all forms of religion are rejected thoroughly by the sufferers. Many sufferers wished that the p ropitiation of the dead souls be done through the religious rituals. And, this research indicated that there was invented a pilgrimage in the striken areas, which suggests that the sufferers made use of a religious equipment to recover themselves. Moreover, this research paid much attention to the notion of the other world which children had, and made it clear that they have tried to recover the peace of mind by referring to the other world, because they have to deal with the unfamiliar concept 'death' to them.
Now we can not help concluding that the sufferers have thought little of the organized religion on the one hand, and that they have accepted and utilized the diffused religion which does not put on its (organizational) armor on the other. It is sure that, in a society at a crisis, religion has a possibility to restore the damaged society. However, not organizational and institutional religion, but non-organizational and non-institutional religion, that is to say, diffused (folk) religion, could make much contribution.