The path of the Kami

“Shinto” by Paula R Hartz exists in several different editions. I have the third edition, which is more colorful than the first one. It´s also grossly overpriced at all vendors I´m familiar with! Thank god for Black Friday…

While Shinto´s earliest written sources or “sacred scriptures” are from the 8^th century AD, the religion itself is probably much older. Indeed, in a non-imperial variety, Shinto might be the ancient pagan tradition of Japan, or at least of the ethnic group today known as the Japanese. It certainly incorporates ideas often considered “primordial” or “primitive”, such as ancestor worship, shamanism and animism. Originally, there were probably no Shinto temples either, worship taking place at particularly stunning places in nature. However, when Shinto was first codified, it served to legitimize the imperial power and the imperial line, notoriously claiming that the Japanese rulers are descended from the sun goddess Amaterasu herself.

Throughout its history, Shinto has been combined with other traditions, Confucianism and Buddhism in particular. Today, many Japanese adhere to both Shinto and Buddhism, which often baffles causal Western observers for whom only one religion can be True (read: Christianity). During some periods, Shinto and Buddhism were in fierce competition rather than harmony. This was the case after the Meiji Restoration until the defeat of Japan in World War II. During this period, Shinto was a state cult of the emperor, his regime and “Japan” (really the Japanese Empire). Apart from State Shinto, there are other manifestations of this tradition, known as Shrine Shinto, Folk Shinto and Sect Shinto. I previously reviewed a “Sect Shinto” book, written by Motohisa Yamakage.

Paula R Hartz´ book is a good overview of Shintoism, chapters dealing with everything from its history and mythology to basic temple ritual. Various colorful festivals are also covered. And yes, those strange antics of Sumo wrestlers turn out to have a religious explanation. The author is broadly pro-Shinto, and perhaps takes a too romantic view of Japanese history, or at least tries hard to do so! If she succeeds is perhaps another matter. The book also briefly discusses Japanese Buddhism and the so-called New Religions, inevitable when writing about a country where a single person can belong to several different religions or even syncretize them.

In a daring move, Hartz tries to explain what “Kami” actually means… 

OK, that was a joke, but to a modern or Christianized Westerner used to easy definitions or very personal gods, it *is* difficult – at least initially – to understand the concept of mostly nameless, faceless “spirits” who somehow also double as “forces” and even physical objects…I think!

“Shinto” is part of a series called “World Religions”, although it´s difficult to see how an almost exclusively Japanese phenomenon can be called a “world” religion. That being said, I nevertheless recommend this book for people completely new to the subject, although finding it in a library might perhaps be a better idea than buying it outright, unless the Kami recently blessed you with some extra funds...