Japanese Temple Buddhism: Worldliness in a Religion of Renunciation

The introduction, “Snapshots of Buddhism in Today’s Japan,” presents vivid fieldwork scenes from Japanese temples: ordinary temple family life, New Year rituals, fire ceremonies, funeral duties, and the everyday work of priests. Covell uses these scenes to show that temple Buddhism cannot be understood through idealized images of mountain renunciants or through simplistic accusations of commercialism. The central analytical issue is the coexistence of world-renunciation rhetoric with household life, economic management, and ritual service. Chapter 1 critiques scholarly and popular images of temple Buddhism as corrupt. Chapters 2 and 3 examine the relationship between laity and temples, including the historical and contemporary role of the danka temple membership system. Chapters 4 and 5 study the contemporary priesthood, priestly identity, recruitment, and institutional reform. Chapter 6 focuses on temple wives and their role in temple management. Chapters 7 and 8 analyze money, law, taxes, funerals, posthumous precept names, and changing views of the afterlife. The epilogue returns to the key theme of “householding world-renouncers.”