RELG204

This course addresses questions concerning ‘animism,’ with a special focus on Japan. We explore elements of religion through the lens of folklore, mythology, legends, ethnographies, and other works of fiction and non-fiction. By always remembering to situate Japan (and our inquiries) vis-à-vis larger disciplinary concerns, we are mindful of both the specificities and the generalities associated with ‘Japanese religion.’ Throughout the course, students are introduced to several seminal texts in the field of religion as well as Japanese studies; students are asked to consider the socio-historical context when analyzing ways in which local customs, Shintoism, and other ‘imported’ thoughts (Buddhism, for instance) coalesce into a current configuration of religious sensibility in Japan. In so doing, students learn to parse what inspires contemporary popular socio-cultural tropes, motifs of the gods/spirits in need of appeasement, and/or perennial human struggles to strike a balance between ecological preservation and industrial progress. (All the readings will be in English. No prior knowledge of Japanese language or culture necessary.)