The Order and Structure of Interreligious and Interdenominational Relations in Early Modern Japan and Its Transformation

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K00976
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 03020:Japanese history-related
• Research Institution: Shimane University
• Principal Investigator: Kobayashi Junji 島根大学, 学術研究院人文社会科学系, 教授 (80294354)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 浄土真宗 / 日蓮宗 / 折伏 / 異安心 / 宗教秩序

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project deals with disputes over doctrine and incidents involving heretical beliefs within the Jodo Shinshu sect that occurred from the end of the 18th century to the beginning of the 19th century, and clarifies that while education was controlled by monk training institutions, incidents occurred frequently, and that monks fought over how to indoctrinate diverse believers. It also clarifies that within the Nichiren sect in the late 18th century, there was a trend to emphasize activities that criticized other sects and Shinto, which led not only to doctrinal disputes but also to local conflicts. The background to these conflicts was the movement of the Fujufuse sect, but it also points out that as conflicts became more frequent, criticism of other sects was suppressed within the sect's core.

Free Research Field

日本史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日本近世において仏教が果たした役割としては葬祭や祈祷、寺請けといった事柄が従来注目されがちであった。しかし実際には近世は民衆教化が盛んとなり重要となった時代であった。そのため本研究では教学の展開や教化のありように注目して、仏教が近世社会において果たした役割を再評価した。また、諸宗派や諸教が併存した日本近世の在りように注目したことで、世界の中の他地域と比較した場合の日本宗教の特質を理解する前提をかたちづくることができた。この点は、異なる宗教を奉じたり価値観を抱いたりする人々がどのような場合に共存できるのかという、現代的問題を考える上でも参考となるはずである。