Religion State Shinto as the BBC Points

Religion

State Shinto

As the BBC points out, "Shinto can't be separated from Japan and the Japanese." This fact led to the fusion of Shinto with Japanese national identity during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Prior to the age of nationalism, Shinto was used to create a sense of allegiance not necessarily with the state but with the lineage of emperors that were the spiritual and political leaders of the Japanese people. The Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu is said to be the mother of the Imperial family ("Shinto and Nationalism," 2009). Therefore, one of the reasons why Shintoism is connected with Japanese nationalism is that Shinto has been the heart and soul of Japanese identity for centuries. Shinto infuses every aspect of daily life in Japan, including social and political culture. The easiest way to create a national identity in the modern sense was to use Shinto as a means of binding together Japanese and offering a sense of pride. Another reason why there still exists a close relationship between Shintoism and Japanese nationalism is that the religion made it possible to connect the past with the present and the future of Japan. Retaining Shinto prevents Japan from losing its cultural identity and uniqueness; but also allows Japan to develop a modern political infrastructure. Shinto provides guidance for the modern political and social structure of Japan, as well as the philosophy and ethics of the people. It is Shinto that allows Japan to have one foot firmly in the rich traditions of the past, and another in the future.

Kamis are spirits, or life forces. There are many different types of spirits, and they coexist with all life. The Japanese people are "descended from the kami who were present at the founding of Japan," ("Shinto and Nationalism," 2009). The people of Japan worship kami both publically and privately. Although nature presents an optimal opportunity for worshipping the nature spirits, shrines provide a means by which to worship ancestral and other types of kami. Shrines for kami will be located in strategic spots favorable or meaningful to the specific kami. Some shrines are indoors and used for personal worship. Other shrines are simple wooden structures, and yet others have grown into huge complexes that allow for large groups of worshippers.

Discussion 2: Gathas: The Hymns of Zarathustra

Zoroastrianism was the first established monotheistic religion. It paved the way for global monotheistic religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The ancient religion has historically been a bridge between East and West. Part of the reason for its function as a bridge is where the religion was born: in Persia. Persia sits strategically between two worlds. The Persian Empire, which was a Zoroastrian Empire, had frequent contact -- and conflict -- with the Greeks. Because the Greeks are widely considered to be "Western," the contact with Persians therefore created the first fusions between two great ancient civilizations. Persia also stood at a crossroads between Greece and India, allowing for cross-fertilization of ideas. The influence of Zoroastrianism can be seen throughout European culture, religion, worldview, and art; likewise, Zoroastrianism has impacted the cultures, religions, and arts of civilizations east of Persia. This was well before the mass exodus of Zoroastrians from the homeland of Persia towards the Indian subcontinent after the Muslim conquest and crusades. Now, the largest concentration of Zoroastrians is in India: making it clearer than ever that the religion is a bridge between East and West.

Zoroastrianism has had a greater impact on the development of other religions from the Middle East than has been commonly realized. Although most scholars of religion know that Zoroastrianism sowed the seeds for core concepts embedded in Judaism (and hence, Christianity and Islam), many if not most "people of the book" are unaware of the roots of their own religions. Concepts of heaven and hell, and the corresponding dualism that shapes Zoroastrian worldview has become ingrained in the mindsets of "people of the book." Dualism is taken so much for granted in the West, that encounters with non-dualistic worldviews like those of indigenous religions, Buddhism, and Hinduism seem foreign. Zoroastrianism is also a religion with a strong prophet figure: not unlike Islam. Like Muhammad, Zoroaster is not a deity but a prophet who helped humanity understand the word of God. Zoroastrianism is also a religion with a strong ethical component, and ethics have become central in most other world religions that followed.