A Tepid Liberation: Sectarianism in Scholarship on Hōnen and Women

Hōnen (1133-1212) is celebrated as the founder of Pure Land Buddhism in Japan, particularly by the Jōdoshū (Pure Land Sect). Scholar-priests continue to publish on what they see as Hōnen’s revolutionary agenda and promulgation of the correct form of Pure Land Buddhism. Their examination of Hōnen’s d...

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Détails bibliographiques
Auteur principal: Gillson, Gwendolyn (Auteur)
Type de support: Électronique Article
Langue:Anglais
Vérifier la disponibilité: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Publié: 2025
Dans: Journal of Religion in Japan
Année: 2025, Volume: 14, Numéro: 2/3, Pages: 135-165
Sujets non-standardisés:B Gender Equality
B Methodology
B Pure Land Buddhism
B women’s religion
B Sectarianism
Accès en ligne: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Description
Résumé:Hōnen (1133-1212) is celebrated as the founder of Pure Land Buddhism in Japan, particularly by the Jōdoshū (Pure Land Sect). Scholar-priests continue to publish on what they see as Hōnen’s revolutionary agenda and promulgation of the correct form of Pure Land Buddhism. Their examination of Hōnen’s doctrines is wide ranging but an area that has received little attention is Hōnen’s understanding of women. This article will analyze some of the only articles on this topic published by Jōdoshū sectarian scholars to argue that even though the authors attempt to champion Hōnen’s advocacy for "gender equality," their concern is less in promoting or even helping women but instead advocating for Jōdoshū as the true inheritor of Pure Land Buddhist doctrine. Their articles demonstrate part of a broader narrative amongst scholars of Japanese Buddhism that prioritizes the goals of sectarian institutions even when producing secular scholarship.
ISSN:2211-8349
Contient:Enthalten in: Journal of Religion in Japan
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/22118349-01402003