Contemporary Scholarship

Contemporary Scholarship Links

• Nichiren, the Buddhist Prophet of the Truth Collection of quotes and summaries, with links to full text writings based on translations found in the Yampolsky edition of Letters of Nichiren (trans. by Burton Watson et al.).
  
• Reflecting on the Plurality of Religions Essay by Michael Pye in the Marburg Journal of Religion, May 1997. Contrasts the study of religions vs interfaith dialogue in their characterizations and approaches to history and ethics.
  
• Analytical Psychology and Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin "The Buddhist statement of the unity and reciprocal influence of physical and psychological aspects of life perfectly mirrors the Jungian principle of synchronicity (or vice versa). Both are in fact based on the conviction that psyche and matter have to be considered nothing more than different manifestations of an identical and eternal energy." By Erika Gsell
  
• Encyclopedia Britannica On-line: Nichiren Encyclopedia Britannica On-line entry for "Nichiren" containing much more depth than usual.
  
• Rise of the Study of New Religions Paper presented by J. Gordon Melton at the Center for Studies on New Religions 1999 conference. Traces the development of the discipline, past and emerging approaches to the topic, and how new religions may be defined vis-a-vis "older religion". The author places Soka Gakkai in the category of new religions.
  
• NIRC: Bulletins: Cumulative list of articles Find here downloadable pdf's of Robert Kisala's "Soka Gakkai, Komeito, and the Separation of Religion and State in Japan" and Jan Van Bragt's "An Uneven Battle: Soka Gakkai vs. Nichiren Shoshu".
  
• Continuing Professional Development Journal Archive page of the refereed international journal on lifelong education. Issue 3, Autumn 1998 issue lists "Genius in Education on Pedagogy, Inspired by the work of Tsunesaburo Makiguchi". Subscription-only access to html and pdf full-text articles.
  
• Religion, Politics, and the State Subtitled "Cross-Cultural Observations", an article by N.J. Demerath and Karen S. Straight in Cross Currents that discusses various religion-state models in "Eastern" and "Western" countries.
  
• Beliefnet: American Buddhism's Racial Divide Essay by Kenneth K Tanaka (Musashino Women's University, Tokyo) surveys the division of Buddhism in America into "two camps" and mentions Soka Gakkai International as cutting across the division with "a more racially diverse membership than any Buddhist group in the United States."
  
• Rebuking the Enemies of the Lotus PDF document of "Rebuking the Enemies of the Lotus: Nichirenist exclusivism in historical perspective," an article by Jacqueline Stone featured in a Special issue (June-Sept 1994) of the Japanese Journal of Religious Studies.
  
• A Time to Chant: The Soka Gakkai Buddhists in Britain, by Wilson, Bryan and Karel Dobbelaere Book review by Brian Brocking in the online Journal of Buddhist Ethics
  
• Buddhism Comes to Main Street Article by Jan Nattier in The Wilson Quarterly (Spring 1997). Discusses Nichiren Buddhists within the "landscape of Buddhist America" and factors that have "shaped the most crucial differences within American Buddhism".
  
• Rissho University Has a Department of Nichiren Buddhism and a research institute in Nichiren Buddhist Studies. Founded in 1580 "when the 'Iidaka-Danrin School' was established to educate student priests of the Nichiren sect of Buddhism."
  
• Synopsis of Nichiren and His Teachings Thumbnail sketch. Entry in Washington State University's World Civilizations: An Internet Classroom and Anthology.
  
• Encarta Online Concise Entry for Nichiren Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2001 entry for "Nichiren"
  
• Ethics and the Lotus Suutra Paper by Peggy Morgan. Discusses ethical imperatives associated with historical and religious claims primarily within the Rissho Kosekai Buddhist interpretation and experience. Includes endnote citations.
  
• Revisiting Nichiren Fall 1999 special issue of the Japanese Journal of Religious Studies. Individual articles are downloadable PDF documents. (The page header incorrectly identifies the issue as Special Issue 1998.)
  
• Catholicism and Soka Gakkai Subtitled "Faith, Structure and Praxis", a 1996 symposium hosted by the Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture. Orientation remarks are downloadable in pdf.
  
• Nichiren and the Lotus Sutra Syllabus of works on Nichiren's historical background, career, philosophy and tradition. Includes supplemental bibliography.