In Japan, two religions predominate--Buddhism and Shintoism--and the Japanese people see no contradiction in practicing both: worshipping Buddha even as they revere the kami, the divine beings that populate the country and define the indigenous faith of Shintoism. In Shintoism and the Religions of Japan, C. Scott Littleton illuminates this unusual spiritual pluralism and shows how it has fertilized a vast and varied religious landscape. Littleton describes the origins and development of Shinto (or Kami no Michi, "Way of the Gods"), the introduction of Buddhism a millennium and a half ago, the rise of various sects of Buddhism (some indigenous to Japan), and the role of the imperial court and the shogunate in the nation's religious life. Here too is a clear and succinct summary of Shintoism's teeming pantheon of spiritual figures, the holy writings of Shintoism, and the islands' landscape of holy sanctuaries. Littleton explains how Buddhism has been reinterpreted in light of Japan's indigenous traditions (some monumental statues of the Buddha are worshipped as manifestations of kami), and describes the "new religions" that flourished during the Meiji period of the late nineteenth century, after Japan once again opened up to the outside world. Writing with grace and clarity, he captures the essential features of Japanese religious life, including the countless local festivals and rituals, the importance of harmony and enlightenment, and concepts of death and salvation. Lavishly illustrated with some thirty color photographs, sprinkled with boxed features that focus on fascinating issues, this volume offers a marvelous tour of Japan's distinctive spiritual experience.

Shinto: Origins, Rituals, Festivals, Spirits, Sacred Places

History

Littleton, C. Scott

Asia

Oxford University Press

The new comparative mythology: An anthropological assessment of the theories of Georges Dumézil

Book is in good condition, with all pages and dust cover intact.

University of California Press

Religion & Spirituality

One of the definitive sources of the scholarship of and beyond Georges Dumezil on the culture, language, and homeland of the Indo-European civilizations.

The New Comparative Mythology: An Anthropological Assessment of the Theories of Georges Dumézil, 3rd Edition

Politics & Social Sciences

Social Sciences

Myth in Indo-European antiquity (Publications of the UCSB Institute of Religious Studies)

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1974.

Myth in Indo-European Antiquity (Publications of the UCSB Institute of Religious Studies)

Larson, Gerald James

Puhvel, Jaan

This volume boldly proposes that the core of the Arthurian and Holy Grail traditions derived not from Celtic mythology, but rather from the folklore of the peoples of ancient Scythia (what are now the South Russian and Ukrainian steppes). Also includes 19 maps.

From Scythia to Camelot: A Radical Reassessment of the Legends of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, and the Holy Grail (Arthurian Characters and Themes)

Literature & Fiction

Malcor, Linda A.

History & Criticism

Routledge

Generation after generation has passed down the ancient legend of a boy-king named Arthur who pulled a sword from stone, loved the beautiful Guinevere, and presided over the Round Table. And we still celebrate the ancient Celtic holy day of Samhain, only now we call it Halloween. The earth itself has preserved sacred Celtic cauldrons designed to raise soldiers from the dead. These legends and artifacts are all found in this exciting book that explores the fascinating world of ancient Celtic legend and belief.

Exploring the Life, Myth, and Art of the Celtic World (Civilizations of the World)

FLEMING, Fergus

Husain, Shahrukh

Children's Books

Rosen Young Adult

The ultimate family encyclopedia- A beautiful, comprehensive and essential companion to the inspiring world of mythology!

Mythology : The Illustrated Anthology of World Myth and Storytelling

Duncan Baird Publishers

The Sacred East: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Shinto

Duncan Baird

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