Bulletin > Volume 25 Images of God in Japanese New Religions

Kisala, Robert

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New religious movements, with a total membership of perhaps fifteen percent of the population of Japan, have become an important mediator of religious experience in that country. Despite a wide variety in the nature of these groups, many share elements of a common worldview, described as “vitalistic” in previous research, characterized by a Confucian ethic and an optimistic view of God, life, and human nature. A closer look at the image of God in some particular groups, however, reveals indications of a development in this concept that might reflect broader trends in religion and society throughout the modern period.