Abstract

The "Decline Theory of Early Modern Buddhism" was once an insurmountable barrier, but recent research is starting to overcome it. The encounter with Christianity and the negotiations with Buddhism, both of which marked the opening of the early modern state, the emerging new aspect of the temple-parishioner system as research progresses, and the diverse approach of itinerant preachers rooted among the common people. "The early modern period was when Buddhism became popular." We explore the vibrant Buddhist world of temples and popular Buddhist faith in the early modern period.

Author’s Information

Fumihiko Sueki
Born in Yamanashi Prefecture in 1949. He graduated from the Department of Indian Philosophy in the Faculty of Letters at the University of Tokyo and completed the doctoral program in the Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences at the same university. He holds a Doctorate in Literature from the University of Tokyo. After serving as a professor in the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Tokyo, he is now a professor at the International Research Center for Japanese Studies. His specialty is Buddhist Studies and Japanese intellectual history. His major works include "History of Japanese Buddhism - An Approach as Intellectual History", "The Formation of Kamakura Buddhism - From the Standpoint of Intellectual History", and "Japanese Religious History". He has written numerous articles, co-authored and edited many books.