Religious practices in the consumer society: Towards healthy, sustainable and spiritual practices. An analysis of the maintenance of religious practices in Japanese mountains

Mgr. Zuzana Malá, Ph.D.

Doctoral thesis

Abstract:

Dizertačná práca je založená na výskume náboženských praktík odohrávajúcich sa v japonských horách. Náboženské rituály, ktoré sa v súvislosti s vnímaním hôr ako špecifického priestoru vyvinuli, ponúkali možnosť zvrátiť neúprosný posmrtný osud. Túto možnosť poskytovali napríklad asketické praktiky či púť cez posvätné hory. Na ilustráciu vývoja náboženských praktík predstavujem čitateľovi v práci lokalitu pohoria Tatejama, ktorá leží v dnešnej prefektúre Tojama. V predkladanej práci o tomto vývoji uvažujem vo vzťahu k súčasným stavom praktík s prihliadnutím na trendy 21. storočia. Kult pohoria Tatejama tak predstavuje akýsi medzník v danom vývoji náboženských praktík. Výskum v horských oblastiach Tatejama a Dewa Sanzan umožnil sledovať terajší stav náboženských praktík. Pri analýze poukazujem na komplexnosť kvalít, s ktorými sú novodobé náboženské praktiky spájané. Získané dáta poodhaľujú napríklad úlohu konceptu kultúrneho dedičstva či asketických prvkov v úsilí o udržiavanie náboženských praktík v súčasnosti. Teoreticky sa práca opiera o hľadiská, ktoré venujú pozornosť konzumnému spôsobu života terajšej spoločnosti. Tento prístup poskytuje zaujímavý pohľad na to ako sa poskytovatelia náboženských praktík a ich účastníci prispôsobujú novodobým podmienkam.

Abstract:

With designation as cultural or natural heritage, a sacred mountain site becomes an interesting commodity in the field of tourism. Indeed, it has been noted by authors that consumerism is ‘a dominant and globalizing cultural and social ethos’ which also transforms religion (Gauthier and Martikainen 2013). The current work examines mountains as places of religious practices and it asks how the logic of the market has shaped these religious practices. The thesis looks at both the historical and the present-day religious practices enacted in Japanese mountains. By looking through the historical development of religious practices in the mountainous locality of Tateyama, the first three chapters offer an understanding of the relationship between mountains and notions of the afterlife. In spite of its distant position, Tateyama was a popular pilgrimage site during the Edo period (1603 – 1867). The case of Tateyama provides an insight into the pilgrimage place and its mountain cult taking into account the economic aspects in the maintenance of the cult. Drawing on research conducted in the Japanese mountains of Tateyama and Dewa Sanzan, this thesis studies the present-day re-enactments and sustenance of religious practices. It discusses the intersection of the cultural heritage concept with religious activities and events which take place in Japanese mountains. Although seen as marginal practices, austerities such as taki gyō are introduced in the last chapter as examples of the sustenance of present-day ascetic practices. The current work tries to show the complexity of qualities associated with contemporary religious practices which are simultaneously traditional and novel. Theories which view the present-day society as the consumer society were chosen as a theoretical approach in this endeavour. This approach provided a useful perspective on adjustments between providers of religious practices and participants.

Keywords

Japonské náboženstvo, predstavy Japoncov o posmrtnom živote, náboženské praktiky, konzumerizmus, Tatejama, Japanese religion, Japanese notions of the afterlife, religious practices, consumerism, Tateyama

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 7. 2. 2017

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 15. 6. 2017
• Supervisor: doc. PhDr. Luboš Bělka, CSc.
• Reader: Mgr. Zuzana Kubovčáková, M.A., prof. Zdeňka Švarcová, Dr.

Masaryk University

Faculty of Arts

Doctoral programme / field:
Philosophy (4-years) / Study of Religions