Imagining Japan The Japanese Tradition & Its Modern Interpretation

"Bellah is a sociologist with a grand vision of history, deeply concerned with the twists and turns of religious values, weaving pre-modern religious thinking into the debates of modernization and modernity. He takes a reflective turn with Imagining Japan, evidencing his profound concern with religious evolution."—Tetsuo Najita, University of Chicago

"One of the most original attempts to understand some of the psychological and symbolic roots of the central problems in Japanese history. Bellah masterfully brings together intellectual and institutional dimensions of Japan, making a very important contribution to Japanese Studies."—S. N. Eisenstadt, Professor Emeritus at Hebrew University and author of Japanese Civilization: A Comparative View

One of the most influential sociologists living today, Robert N. Bellah began his career as a Japan specialist, and has continued to contribute to the field over the past thirty years. Imagining Japan is a collection of some of his most important writings, including essays that consider the entire sweep of Japanese history and the character of Japanese society and religion. Combining intellectual rigor, broad scholarship, and ethical commitment, this book also features a new and extensive introduction that brings together intellectual and institutional dimensions of Japanese history.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 235-245) and index.

Robert N. Bellah is Elliott Professor of Sociology, Emeritus, at the University of California, Berkeley. He is author of Beyond Belief (California, 1991) and Tokugawa Religion: The Cultural Roots of Modern Japan (1985), and coauthor of Habits of the Heart (California, 1985).

Introduction: The Japanese Difference

1. The Contemporary Meaning of Kamakura Buddhism

2. Ienaga Saburo and the Search for meaning in Modern Japan

3. Japan's cultural Identity: Some Reflections on the Work of Watsuji Tetsuro

4. Notes on Maruyama Masao

5. Intellectual and Society in Japan

6. The Japanese Emperor as a Mother Figure: Some Preliminary Notes

7. Continuity and Change in Japanese Society

Notes

Bibliography

Index