Introduction -- 1. Defend the Dharma, Admonish the Heretics -- 2. The Way of Repentance and the Great Promulgation Campaign -- 3. The Ideal of Harmony between Dharma and Law -- 4. Thought Crimes and the Opium of the Masses -- 5. War Crimes and the Discovery of Peace -- 6. The Spirit of Public Service and the Social Role for Religions -- 7. The Dilemmas of Bad Karma -- Conclusion: At the Altar of Doctrinal Admonition -- Appendix A: Tenrikyo Group Chaplaincy Session Field Notes -- Appendix B: Interview with Hirano Shunko, Death Row Chaplain at Tokyo Jail -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index.
Summary:
"This groundbreaking study of prison religion in East Asia introduces a form of chaplaincy rooted in the Buddhist concept of doctrinal admonition rather than Euro-American notions of spiritual care. Based on archival research, fieldwork inside prisons, and interviews with chaplains, it reveals another dimension of Buddhist modernism that developed as Japan's religious organizations carved out a niche as defenders of society by fighting crime. The case of prison chaplaincy shows that despite constitutional commitments to freedom of religion and separation of religion from state, statism remains an enduring feature of mainstream Japanese religious life in the contemporary era"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.