Religious Violence in Contemporary Japan: The Case of Aum Shinrikyo
by Ian Reader
28 Members (4.83)
On This Page
Description
The Tokyo subway attack in March 1995 was just one of a series of criminal activities including murder, kidnapping, extortion, and the illegal manufacture of arms and drugs carried out by the Japanese new religious movement Aum Shinrikyo, under the guidance of its leader Asahara Shoko. Reader looks at Aum's claims about itself and asks, why did a religious movement ostensibly focussed on yoga, meditation, asceticism and the pursuit of enlightenment become involved in violent activities? show more Reader discusses Aum's spiritual roots, placing it in the context of contemporary Japanese religious patterns. Asahara's teaching are examined from his earliest public pronouncements through to his sermons at the time of the attack, and statements he has made in court. In analysing how Aum not only manufactured nerve gases but constructed its own internal doctrinal justifications for using them Reader focuses on the formation of what made all this possible: Aum's internal thought-world, and on how this was developed. Reader argues that despite the horrors of this particular case, Aum should not be seen as unique, nor as solely a political or criminal terror group. Rather it can best be analysed within the context of religious violence, as an extreme example of a religious movement that has created friction with the wider world that escalated into violence. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
Member Reviews
Members
- Recently Added By
Author Information
13+ Works 262 Members
Ian Reader is professor of religious studies at Lancaster University.
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1998
- People/Characters
- Asahara Shoko
- Important places
- Tokyo, Japan
- Important events
- Tokyo gas attack (March 20, 1995)
Classifications
- Genres
- Religion & Spirituality, Nonfiction, Sociology, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 299.93 — Religion Other religions Shintoism/Taoism/Other Mythologies Religions of other origin Religions of eclectic and syncretistic origin
- LCC
- BP605 .O88 .R43 — Philosophy, Psychology and Religion Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc. Islam. Bahai Faith. Theosophy, etc. Other beliefs and movements
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 28
- Popularity
- 978,717
- Rating
- (4.83)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 7
