Publication Date
Spring 3-24-2014
Description
In the early decades of the twentieth century, as Japanese society became engulfed in war and increasing nationalism, the majority of Buddhist leaders and institutions capitulated to the status quo. At the same time, there was a stream of ‘resistance’ among a few Buddhist figures, both priests and laity. These instances of progressive and ‘radical Buddhism’ had roots in late Edo-period peasant revolts, the lingering discourse of early Meiji period liberalism, trends within Buddhist reform and modernisation and the emergence in the first decade of the twentieth century of radical political thought, including various forms of socialism and anarchism. This essay analyses the roots of ‘radical Buddhism’ in Japan by analysing the life and work of three distinctive figures: Tarui Tōkichi (1850–1922), Takagi Kenmyō (1864–1914), and Uchiyama Gudō (1874–1911). While noting their differences, I argue these three collective represent both the problems and possibilities of radical Buddhism in an East Asian and specifically Japanese context.
Journal
Politics, Religion & Ideology
Volume
15
Issue
2
First Page
205
Last Page
223
Department
Comparative Humanities
Link to Published Version
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21567689.2014.898425#.VN4gxbDF9yc
Recommended Citation
Shields, James. "Zen and the Art of Treason: Radical Buddhism in Meiji Era (1868–1912) Japan." Politics, Religion & Ideology (2014) : 205-223.
Included in
Asian History Commons, Ethics and Political Philosophy Commons, History of Religion Commons, History of Religions of Eastern Origins Commons, Intellectual History Commons, Japanese Studies Commons, Political History Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons, Social History Commons