| Abstract [eng] |
The object of the master’s thesis - publications related to social or political engagement by Nishi Honganji and Buddhist Churches of America, as well as Jōdo Shinshū practitioners’ responses. The aim of the thesis – to examine how Jōdo Shinshū institutions in Japan and Western countries present their social and ethical roles, as well as how practitioners of this tradition understand and interpret its social engagement; to map and evaluate the existing theoretical approach to studying Engaged Buddhism and its critiques; to detail and analyze the historical development of the Jōdo Shinshū tradition, dedicating attention to its social involvement over time; to identify the key values, social issues, and social initiatives emphasized on the websites of Jōdo Shinshū temples; to analyze and compare practitioner attitudes regarding social engagement and Engaged Buddhism in the Jōdo Shinshū school; to evaluate the degree of alignment or mismatch between institutional messaging online and practitioner attitudes. The subject of the research is the social role of the Jōdo Shinshū tradition and its relationship to the academic category of Engaged Buddhism. Using qualitative methodology, it was discovered that Jōdo Shinshū institutions and practitioners do engage with social and ethical issues, though often through forms of ethical reflection, community support, education, and awareness-building rather than overt political or social activism. Institutional guidance regarding these matters is often not direct, and practitioners state that they do not feel it is sufficient. The findings also demonstrate that existing academic definitions of Engaged Buddhism may be too narrow to fully encompass the diverse ways Buddhist traditions participate in society. This master's thesis may be useful for scholars developing the topic of Engaged Buddhism in any of the Pure Land traditions, as well as for broader studies of Buddhist modernism, Buddhist social ethics, and religion in contemporary society. |
