17 - Modern New Religions’ Responses to Globalization in a Post-Modern World

Summary

Abstract

This chapter discusses the effects of globalization and new information technologies on religious activities in Japan, with reference to both modern new religions that developed in the course of Japan's modernization, and to more recently formed ‘new new’ religions that have arisen in the era of globalization, and have been influenced by globalization and new information technologies from their inception. The chapter argues that one consequence of this changing social context is the formation of new forms of religion that might be termed ‘hyper-religions’, which show little continuity with older domestic religious traditions, and do not hesitate to incorporate aspects of religious traditions from other cultures, psychology, or even science fiction.

Keywords: globalization, Japanese religion, new information technologies, modern new religions, ‘new new’ religions, hyper-religions

Concept of ‘modern new religion’

In this chapter I discuss the ways in which globalization and information processes have affected religious activities in Japan from two perspectives. Firstly, the response of modern new religions to globalization and information processes, and secondly the appearance of new types of religious groups that have formed on the basis of globalization and the information age.

I explain the concept of ‘modern new religion’ and the reason why I use this term instead of ‘new religion’, which is the term most commonly used to indicate new movements in modern Japan. I apply the term ‘modern new religion’ to new movements that have the following two characteristics: a deep connection with Japanese traditional religions in terms of ritual and teachings which were widely accepted in society before the modernization of Japan, and a new method of organization to correspond to social changes caused by the modernization process. Tenrikyō, Reiyūkai, Sōka Gakkai, Risshō Kōseikai, Sekai Kyūsei Kyō are typical examples of modern new religions. In fact, most groups usually referred to as ‘new religions’ are included in the category ‘modern new religion’.

One of the reasons I am advancing this idea is that some scholars of new religions have the view that a new type of new religion has appeared since the 1970s, and since the 1980s these have been called ‘new new religions’, ‘neo new religions’, and other similar terms (Inoue 1997).