2022/07/09

게르숌 숄렘 - 위키백과, Gershom Scholem 책 [한 우정의 역사 - 발터 벤야민을 추억하며]

게르숌 숄렘 - 위키백과, 우리 모두의 백과사전

게르숌 숄렘

게르숌 숄렘

게르솜 게르하르트 숄렘(Gershom Gerhard Scholem, 1897년 12월 5일 - 1982년 2월 21일)은 독일에서 태어난 유대교 철학자이며 역사가이다. 1923년 영국 위임통치령 팔레스타인으로 이주해 국립도서관의 도서관장을 지냈으며, 이후 카발라를 현대적으로 연구하기 시작해 예루살렘 히브리 대학의 유대교 신비주의의 첫 교수가 된다.

그의 강의록 《유대교 신비주의의 주류 Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism》(1941)와 전기《사바티 제비, 신비주의 메시아 Sabbatai Zevi, the Mystical Messiah》 (1973)가 유명하다. 그의 강연과 에세이를 모은 《카발라와 기호 On Kabbalah and its Symbolism》(1965)는 유대교 신비주의를 바깥에 알리는 데 지대한 기여를 했다.

그는 1958년 이스라엘 상을 받았고, 1968년 이스라엘 인문 과학 아카데미의 회장으로 뽑혔다.

===

일어

겔쇼 숄렘

출처: 무료 백과사전 '위키피디아(Wikipedia)'
히브리대학교 교수 취임한 시절(1935년)

겔숀 겔하르트 숄렘 ( גרשם גרהרד שלום Gershom Gerhard Scholem 1897년 12월 5일 - 1982년 2월 21일 )은 독일 출생 의 이스라엘 사상가 . 유대 신비주의( 카바라 )의 세계적 권위로 히브리 대학 교수 를 맡았다. 1968년 에는 이스라엘 문리학사원의 원장으로 선정되었다.

경력 편집 ]

그는 베를린 에서 유대인 가정에서 태어나 자랐다. 아버지는 알투르 쇼렘, 어머니는 베티 힐슈 쇼렘. 화가 였던 아버지는 동화주의자이자 아들이 유대교 에 관심을 가지기를 기뻐하지 않았지만 숄렘은 어머니의 소식없이 정통 랍비 아래에서 히브리어 와 탈무드 를 배울 수 있습니다. 했다.

베를린 대학 에서 수학과 철학과 히브리어 를 전공 . 대학에서는 마르틴 부버 와 발터 벤야민 , 슈 무엘 아그논 , 하임 나프만 비아릭 , 아하드 하암 , 잘만 샤잘 등 면면과 알게 되었다. 1918년 에는 벤야민과 함께 스위스 베른 에 있었지만, 여기서 첫 아내 엘자 브루크하르트를 알게 되었다. 1919년 독일로 돌아와 뮌헨 대학 에서 셈어 연구로 학위를 받았다.

박사 논문 의 테마는, 가장 오래된 카바라 문헌 סֵפֶר הַבָּהִיר (세펠 하 = 바힐 : "광휘의 책")이었다. 시온주의 에 기울여 친구 부버의 영향도 있고, 1923년 에 영령 팔레스타인 으로 이주. 여기서 그는 유대 신비주의 연구에 몰두하여 사서 의 직업을 얻었다. 최종적으로는 이스라엘 국회 도서관의 히브리 유대 문헌 부문의 책임자가 되었다. 나중에 예루살렘 의 히브리 대학 에서 강사로 가르치기 시작했다.

그의 특색은 자연과학의 소양을 살려 카바라 를 과학적으로 가르친 점에 있다. 1933년 에는 히브리 대학의 유대 신비주의 강좌의 초대 교수로 취임, 1965년 에 명예 교수 가 될 때까지 이 지위에 있었다. 칼 구스타프 융 등이 관련된 ' 엘라노스 회의 '에도 참가.

1936년 , 파니아 프로이트와 재혼.

형의 베르너 쇼렘 은 독일의 극좌 조직 <피셔 마슬로프단>의 일원으로 독일 제국 의회 에서는 독일 공산당 선출의 의원이었지만 나중에 의회에서 추방되어 나치 에 의해 암살되었다.

저서 (역서) 편집 ]

  • '유대주의의 본질' 카와데 서방 신사 , 1972년
  • 『유대주의와 서구』 카와데 서방 신사, 1973년
  • 『유대교 신비주의』 가와데 서방 신사, 1975년
  • 『우리 친구 벤야민』아키라분샤 , 1978년
  • 『유대 신비주의』 叢書 유니베르시타스 호세이대학 출판국 , 1985년, 이후 신장판. 별역판
  • 「카바라와 그 상징적 표현」
  • 베를린에서 예루살렘으로 청춘의 추억
  • 연금술과 카발라 작품사 , 2001년
  • 사바타이・츠비전 신비의 메시아』총서 우니베르시타스・호세이대학 출판국, 2009년. 2권 세트
공저 외

평전 편집 ]

  • 데이비드 비아르 '커버러와 반역사 평전 겔쇼 쇼렘' 기무라 미츠지역, 아키라분샤, 1984년
  • 스테파누 모제스 '겔숀 숄렘 - 비밀의 역사' - '역사의 천사 로젠츠바이크, 벤야민, 숄렘'
고다 마사토 역, 쇼서 우니베르시타스·호세이대학 출판국, 2003년
  • Susan A. Handelman "Gelshom Shelem과 Valter Benjamin"- "구제 해석학 Benjamin, Shelem, Revinus
고다 마사토, 다나카 아미역, 타카시 우니 베르시타스, 호세이 대학 출판국, 2005

수상 경력 편집 ]


===

=

Gershom Scholem

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Gershom Scholem
גרשום שלום
Gershom Scholem 1935 (cropped).jpg
Scholem, 1935
Born
Gerhard Scholem

5 December 1897
Died21 February 1982 (aged 84)
NationalityGerman
Israel
Alma materFrederick William University
Notable work
Sabbatai Zevi, the Mystical Messiah
Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism
Spouse(s)Fania Freud Scholem
AwardsIsrael Prize
Bialik Prize
Era20th-century philosophy
RegionGerman philosophy
Jewish philosophy
SchoolContinental philosophy
Kabbalah
Wissenschaft des Judentums
InstitutionsHebrew University of Jerusalem
Main interests
Philosophy of religion
Philosophy of history
Mysticism
Messianism
Influences
Influenced

Gershom Scholem (Hebrewגֵרְשׁׂם שָׁלוֹם) (5 December 1897 – 21 February 1982), was a German-born Israeli philosopher and historian. He is widely regarded as the founder of the modern, academic study of Kabbalah. He was the first professor of Jewish Mysticism at Hebrew University of Jerusalem.[1] His close friends included Theodor AdornoHannah ArendtWalter Benjamin and Leo Strauss, and selected letters from his correspondence with those philosophers have been published. He was also friendly with the author Shai Agnon and the Talmudic scholar Saul Lieberman.

Scholem is best known for his collection of lectures, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism (1941) and for his biography Sabbatai Zevi, the Mystical Messiah (1957). His collected speeches and essays, published as On Kabbalah and its Symbolism (1965), helped to spread knowledge of Jewish mysticism among both Jews and non-Jews.

Biography[edit]

Gershom Scholem sitting in Sukka studying the Zohar, 1925

Gerhard (Gershom) Scholem was born in Berlin to Arthur Scholem and Betty Hirsch Scholem. His father was a printer. His older brother was the German Communist leader Werner Scholem. He studied Hebrew and Talmud with an Orthodox rabbi.[citation needed]

Scholem met Walter Benjamin in Munich in 1915, when the former was seventeen years old and the latter was twenty-three. They began a lifelong friendship that ended when Benjamin committed suicide in 1940 in the wake of Nazi persecution. Scholem dedicated his book Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism (Die jüdische Mystik in ihren Hauptströmungen), based on lectures 1938–1957, to Benjamin. In 1915 Scholem enrolled at the Frederick William University in Berlin (today, Humboldt University), where he studied mathematics, philosophy, and Hebrew. There he met Martin BuberShmuel Yosef AgnonHayim Nahman BialikAhad Ha'am, and Zalman Shazar.[citation needed]

In Berlin, Scholem befriended Leo Strauss and corresponded with him throughout his life.[2] He studied mathematical logic at the University of Jena under Gottlob Frege. He was in Bern in 1918 with Benjamin when he met Elsa (Escha) Burchhard, who became his first wife. Scholem returned to Germany in 1919, where he received a degree in Semitic languages at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Together with Benjamin he established a fictitious school – the University of Muri.[citation needed]

Scholem wrote his doctoral thesis on the oldest known kabbalistic text, Sefer ha-Bahir. The following year it appeared in book form as "Das Buch Bahir", having been published by his father's publishing house.[citation needed]

Drawn to Zionism and influenced by Buber, he immigrated in 1923 to the British Mandate of Palestine.[3] He became a librarian, heading the Department of Hebrew and Judaica at the National Library. In 1927 he revamped the Dewey Decimal System, making it appropriate for large Judaica collections. Scholem's brother Werner was a member of the ultra-left "Fischer-Maslow Group" and the youngest ever member of the Reichstag, or Weimar Diet, representing the Communist Party of Germany. He was expelled from the party and later murdered by the Nazis during the Third ReichUnlike his brother, Gershom was vehemently opposed to both Communism and Marxism. In 1936, he married his second wife, Fania Freud. Fania, who had been his student and could read Polish, was helpful in his later research, particularly in regard to Jacob Frank.[citation needed]

In 1946 Scholem was sent by the Hebrew University to search for Jewish books that had been plundered by the Nazis and help return them to their rightful owners. He spent much of the year in Germany and Central Europe as part of this project, known as "Otzrot HaGolah".[citation needed]

Scholem died in Jerusalem, where he is buried next to his wife in the Sanhedria CemeteryJürgen Habermas delivered the eulogy.[citation needed]

Academic career[edit]

Scholem became a lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He taught the Kabbalah and mysticism from a scientific point of view and became the first professor of Jewish mysticism at the university in 1933, working in this post until his retirement in 1965, when he became an emeritus professor.

Card catalogue which Gershom Scholem used to write his notes
Gershom Scholem House, 28 Abarbanel Street, Jerusalem

Scholem directly contrasted his historiographical approach on the study of Jewish mysticism with the approach of the 19th-century school of the Wissenschaft des Judentums ("Science of Judaism"), which sought to submit the study of Judaism to the discipline of subjects such as historyphilology, and philosophy. According to Jeremy Adler, Scholem's thinking was "both recognizably Jewish and deeply German," and "changed the course of twentieth-century European thought."[4]

Jewish mysticism was seen as Judaism's weakest scholarly link. Scholem told the story of his early research when he was directed to a prominent rabbi who was an expert on Kabbalah. Seeing the rabbi's many books on the subject, Scholem asked about them, only to be told: "This trash? Why would I waste my time reading nonsense like this?" (Robinson 2000, p. 396)

The analysis of Judaism carried out by the Wissenschaft school was flawed in two ways, according to Scholem: It studied Judaism as a dead object rather than as a living organism; and it did not consider the proper foundations of Judaism, the non-rational force that, in Scholem's view, made the religion a living thing.

In Scholem's opinion, the mythical and mystical components were at least as important as the rational ones, and he thought that they, rather than the minutiae of Halakha, were the truly living core of Judaism. In particular, he disagreed with what he considered to be Martin Buber's personalization of Kabbalistic concepts as well as what he argued was an inadequate approach to Jewish history, Hebrew language, and the land of Israel.

In the worldview of Scholem, the research of Jewish mysticism could not be separated from its historical context. Starting from something similar to the Gegengeschichte of Friedrich Nietzsche, he ended up including less normative aspects of Judaism in the public history.

Specifically, Scholem thought that Jewish history could be divided into three periods:

  • During the Biblical period, monotheism battles mythology without completely defeating it.
  • During the Talmudic period, some of the institutions—for example, the notion of the magical power of the accomplishment of the Sacraments—are removed in favour of the purer concept of the divine transcendence.
  • During the medieval period, the impossibility of reconciling the abstract concept of God of ancient Greek philosophy with the personal God of the Bible, led Jewish thinkers, such as Maimonides, to try to eliminate the remaining myths and to modify the figure of the living God. After this time, mysticism, as an effort to find again the essence of the God of their fathers, became more widespread.

The notion of the three periods, with its interactions between rational and irrational elements in Judaism, led Scholem to put forward some controversial arguments. He thought that the 17th century messianic movement, known as Sabbateanism, was developed from the Lurianic Kabbalah. In order to neutralize Sabbateanism, Hasidism had emerged as a Hegelian synthesis. Many of those who joined the Hasidic movement, because they had seen in it an Orthodox congregation, considered it scandalous that their community should be associated with a heretical movement.

In the same way, Scholem produced the hypothesis that the source of the 13th century Kabbalah was a Jewish gnosticism that preceded Christian gnosticism.

The historiographical approach of Scholem also involved a linguistic theory. In contrast to Buber, Scholem believed in the power of the language to invoke supernatural phenomena. In contrast to Walter Benjamin, he put the Hebrew language in a privileged position with respect to other languages, as the only language capable of revealing the divine truth. His special regard for the spiritual potency of the Hebrew language was expressed in his 1926 letter to Franz Rosenzweig regarding his concerns over the "secularization" of Hebrew. Scholem considered the Kabbalists as interpreters of a pre-existent linguistic revelation.

Debate with Hannah Arendt[edit]

In the aftermath of the Adolf Eichmann trial in Jerusalem, Scholem sharply criticised Hannah Arendt's book, Eichmann in Jerusalem and decried her lack of solidarity with the Jewish people (Hebrewאהבת ישראל "love of one's fellow Jews", ʾaḥəvaṯ ʾiśrāʾēl). Arendt responded that she never loved any collective group, and that she does not love the Jewish people but was only part of them. The bitter fight, which was exchanged in various articles, made Scholem break off ties with Arendt and refuse to forgive her. Scholem wrote to Hans Paeschke that he "knew Hannah Arendt when she was a socialist or half-communist and... when she was a Zionist. I am astounded by her ability to pronounce upon movements in which she was once so deeply engaged, in terms of a distance measured in light years and from such sovereign heights."[5] Interestingly, whereas Arendt felt that Eichmann should be executed, Scholem was opposed, fearing that his execution would serve to alleviate the Germans' collective sense of guilt.[citation needed]

Various other Israeli and Jewish academics also broke off ties with Arendt, claiming that her lack of solidarity with the Jewish people in their time of need was appalling, along with her victimization of various Nazis. Before the Eichmann trial, Scholem also opposed Arendt's interpretation (in letters and the introduction to Illuminations) of Walter Benjamin as a Marxist thinker who predated the New Left. For Scholem, Benjamin had been an essentially religious thinker, whose turn to Marxism had been merely an unfortunate, but inessential and superficial, expedient.[citation needed]

Awards and recognition[edit]

Literary influence[edit]

1947 drawing by Trude Krolik of the young Scholem "Baal HaZohar" (Master of the Zohar), in the Scholem collection, National Library of Israel (Hebrew University), Jerusalem

Various stories and essays of the Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges were inspired or influenced by Scholem's books.[9] He has also influenced ideas of Umberto EcoJacques DerridaHarold Bloom, Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben, and George Steiner.[10] American author Michael Chabon cites Scholem's essay, The Idea of the Golem, as having assisted him in conceiving the Pulitzer-Prize winning book The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.[11] Chaim Potok's The Book of Lights features a lightly disguised Scholem as "Jacob Keter."[12]

Selected works in English[edit]

  • Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, 1941
  • Jewish Gnosticism, Merkabah Mysticism, and the Talmudic Tradition, 1960
  • Arendt and Scholem, "Eichmann in Jerusalem: Exchange of Letters between Gershom Scholem and Hannah Arendt", in Encounter, 22/1, 1964
  • The Messianic Idea in Judaism and other Essays on Jewish Spirituality, trans. 1971
  • Sabbatai Sevi: The Mystical Messiah, 1973
  • From Berlin to Jerusalem: Memories of My Youth, 1977; trans. Harry Zohn, 1980.
  • Kabbalah, Meridian 1974, Plume Books 1987 reissue: ISBN 0-452-01007-1
  • Walter Benjamin: the Story of a Friendship, trans. Harry Zohn. New York: Schocken Books, 1981.
  • Origins of the Kabbalah, JPS, 1987 reissue: ISBN 0-691-02047-7
  • On the Mystical Shape of the Godhead: Basic Concepts in the Kabbalah, 1997
  • The Fullness of Time: Poems, trans. Richard Sieburth
  • On Jews and Judaism in Crisis: Selected Essays
  • On the Kabbalah and Its Symbolism
  • Zohar — The Book of Splendor: Basic Readings from the Kabbalah, ed.
  • On History and Philosophy of History, in "Naharaim: Journal for German-Jewish Literature and Cultural History", v, 1–2 (2011), pp. 1–7.
  • On Franz Rosenzweig and his Familiarity with Kabbala Literature, in "Naharaim: Journal for German-Jewish Literature and Cultural History", vi, 1 (2012), pp. 1–6.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Magid, Shaul, "Gershom Scholem"Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2009 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2009/entries/scholem/>.
  2. ^ Green, Kenneth Hart (1997). "Leo Strauss as a Modern Jewish Thinker" [editor's introduction], in: Leo Strauss, Jewish Philosophy and the Crisis of Modernity, ed. Green. Albany: State University of New York Press. ISBN 9780791427736. p. 55.
  3. ^ The Cult Following of Gershom Scholem, Founder of Modern Kabbala ResearchHaaretz
  4. ^ Times Literary Supplement, 10 April 2015
  5. ^ Aschheim, Steven E. (August 2001). Hannah Arendt in Jerusalem. University of California Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-520-22057-7.
  6. ^ "Israel Prize recipients in 1958 (in Hebrew)". Israel Prize Official Site. Archived from the original on 8 February 2012.
  7. ^ "Recipients of Yakir Yerushalayim award (in Hebrew)". Archived from the original on 17 June 2011. City of Jerusalem official website
  8. ^ "List of Bialik Prize recipients 1933–2004 (in Hebrew), Tel Aviv Municipality website" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 December 2007.
  9. ^ Gourevitch, Philip, "Interview with Jorge Luis Borges (July 1966)", in The Paris review: Interviews, Volume 1, Macmillan, 2006. Cf. p.156. Also see: Ronald Christ (Winter–Spring 1967). "Jorge Luis Borges, The Art of Fiction No. 39"Paris Review.
  10. ^ Idel, Moshe, "White Letters: From R. Levi Isaac of Berditchev's Views to Postmodern Hermeneutics"Modern Judaism, Volume 26, Number 2, May 2006, pp. 169–192. Oxford University Press
  11. ^ Kamine, Mark (29 June 2008). "Chasing His Bliss"The New York Times. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  12. ^ Soll, Will (1989). "Chaim Potok's "Book of Lights": Reappropriating Kabbalah in the Nuclear Age"Religion & Literature21 (1): 111–135. ISSN 0888-3769.

Further reading[edit]

  • Avriel Bar-Levav, On the Absence of a Book from a Library: Gershom Scholem and the Shulhan Arukh. Zutot: Perspectives on Jewish Culture 6 (2009): 71–73
  • Engel Amir, Gershom Scholem: An Intellectual Biography, University of Chicago Press, 2017.
  • Biale, DavidGershom Scholem: Kabbalah and Counter-History, second ed., 1982.
  • Bloom, Harold, ed. Gershom Scholem, 1987.
  • Campanini, Saverio, A Case for Sainte-Beuve. Some Remarks on Gershom Scholem's Autobiography, in P. Schäfer – R. Elior (edd.), Creation and Re-Creation in Jewish Thought. Festschrift in Honor of Joseph Dan on the Occasion of his 70th Birthday, Tübingen 2005, pp. 363–400.
  • Campanini, Saverio, Some Notes on Gershom Scholem and Christian Kabbalah, in Joseph Dan (ed.), Gershom Scholem in Memoriam, Jerusalem Studies in Jewish Thought, 21 (2007), pp. 13–33.
  • F. Dal Bo, Between sand and stars: Scholem and his translation of Zohar 22a-26b [Ita.], in "Materia Giudaica", VIII, 2, 2003, pp. 297–309 – Analysis of Scholem's translation of Zohar I, 22a-26b
  • Jacobson, Eric, Metaphysics of the Profane – The Political Theology of Walter Benjamin and Gershom Scholem, (Columbia University Press, NY, 2003).
  • Lucca, Enrico, Between History and Philosophy of History. Comments on an unpublished Document by Gershom Scholem, in "Naharaim", v, 1–2 (2011), pp. 8–16.
  • Lucca, Enrico, Gershom Scholem on Franz Rosenzweig and the Kabbalah. Introduction to the Text, in "Naharaim", vi, 1 (2012), pp. 7–19.
  • Mirsky, Yehudah, "Gershom Scholem, 30 Years On", (Jewish Ideas Daily, 2012).
  • Heller Wilensky, Sarah, See the letters from Joseph Weiss to Sarah Heller Wilensky in "Joseph Weiss, Letters to Ora" in A. Raoport-Albert (Ed.) Hasidism reappraised. London: Littman Press, 1977.
  • Robinson, G. Essential Judaism, Pocket Books, 2000.

External links[edit]


=
한 우정의 역사 - 발터 벤야민을 추억하며
게르숌 숄렘 (지은이),

최성만 (옮긴이)한길사2002-03-20

원제 : Walter Benjamin- die Geschichte einer Freundschaft


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책소개
현대 자본주의 사회의 암울한 미래를 문화적인 측면에서 예측해왔던 발터 벤야민. 그의 문예비평과 <기술복제시대의 예술작품> 등은 현재까지도 그 빛을 발하고 있다. 벤야민은 스스로 '편지'라는 글쓰기 양식을 그것을 쓴 사람의 정신을 표현하는 고유한 것으로 파악했기에 생전 어느 작가보다도 편지를 많이 썼다.

이 책은 벤야민의 '평생 우정'이었던 시오니즘의 대가 게르숌 숄렘(1897~1982)이 벤야민과 25년간 주고받은 편지를 근간으로 쓴 일종의 평전이다. 두 사람의 편지교환을 중심으로 전개되고 있는 이 책을 통해 우리는 벤야민의 생애와 사상적 편린을 간접적으로나마 경험할 수 있다.

벤야민이 유대 정신에 뿌리를 둔 형이상학적 천재였다면, 숄렘은 유대 정신에 바탕을 두고 이른바 '문화적 시오니즘'의 방향에서 유대의 전통을 계승, 발전시키는 데 기여하는 것을 자신의 임무라고 생각했다. 서로에 대한 무한한 신뢰를 바탕으로 서로의 학문적 지향점에 대해 끊임없이 토론하고 논쟁을 벌이는 학자의 자세를 이들의 편지 속에서 엿볼 수 있게 해준다.


목차


두 거대한 정신의 생산적인 교류 | 최성만

머리말
최초의 접촉 1915
자라나는 우정 1916 ~ 17
스위스에서 1918 ~ 19
전쟁이 끝난 뒤 처음 몇 해 1920 ~ 23
거리를 뛰어넘은 신뢰 1924 ~ 23
파리 1927
좌절된 계획 1928 ~ 29
위기와 전환 1930 ~ 32
망명기 1933 ~ 40

부록 1931년 봄, 사적 유물론에 대한 우리의 서신 교환
주(註)
본문에 인용된 벤야민의 저작
발터 벤야민 연보
찾아보기

저자 및 역자소개
게르숌 숄렘 (Gershom Scholem) (지은이)
저자파일
신간알리미 신청

1897년 독일 베를린에서 태어났다. 독일과 스위스에서 수학, 철학, 유대학을 공부하고 1923년 팔레스타인으로 이주한 뒤, 1933년부터 예루살렘 히브리 대학에서 유대 신비주의 분야 교수로 재직했다. 지은책에 <유대 신비주의 주류의 역사>, <유대학>, <유대학의 기본 개념들>, <카발라와 그 상징들에 대하여>, <베를린에서 예루살렘까지. 청년기의 회상>, <신의 신비적 형상에 대하여. 카발라의 기본 개념들에 대한 연구>, <발터 벤야민과 그의 천사>, <사바타이 제비. 신비한 메시아> 등이 있다.

최근작 : <한 우정의 역사> … 총 81종 (모두보기)

최성만 (옮긴이)
저자파일
신간알리미 신청

1956년 전북 익산에서 태어나 서울대 전자공학과를 졸업했으며, 같은 대학교 대학원에서 독어독문학을 전공했다. 독일 베를린 자유대학에서 독문학과 철학을 수학했으며, 1995년 발터 벤야민의 미메시스론에 대한 논문으로 박사학위를 받았다. 저서로 『표현인문학』(공저, 2000), 『발터 벤야민, 기억의 정치학』(2014) 등이 있으며, 역서로는 『예술의 사회학』(공역, 1983), 『전위예술의 새로운 이해』(1986 / 재출간: 『아방가르드의 이론』 2009), 『윤이상의 음악 세계』(공역, 1991), 『한 우정의 역사: 발터 벤야민... 더보기

최근작 : <가족의 재의미화 커뮤니티의 도전>,<발터 벤야민 기억의 정치학>,<표현 인문학> … 총 18종 (모두보기)


Editor Blog
[인문] <독일 비애극의 원천>과 발터 벤야민 읽기 l 2008-11-03

발터 벤야민의 주요 저작 <독일 비애극의 원천>이 드디어 번역, 출간 되었습니다. 얼마 전 <아케이드 프로젝트>가 새롭게 단장해 출간되었고,그 외 주요 저작들 또한'길'과 '새물결' 두 출판사에서 꾸준히 출간되고 있는 가운데 어느덧 쌓여가는 벤야민 도서들을 한 자리에 모아 보았습니다.



유대인, 숄렘, 벤야민
숄렘은 벤야민이 유대인임을 강변한다.
벤야민에 대한 우정과 이해도 한 민족이라는 범위 안에서만 이루어진다.
이스라엘의 팔레스타인 점령이 '필연적'이라는 숄렘은 벤야민이 그와 함께 이스라엘 건국을 돕지 못해 아쉬워 한다.
이 책은 그 뿐이다.

팔레스타인이 '필연적' 선택이었다는 점은 예전부터 내게 분명했고 또 지금도 그렇다네.
즉 어떤 시오니즘적 프로그램도 사람들 손을 묶어두지 않았네. (302면)




Gershom Scholem(1897-1982)
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파고세운닥나무 2008-12-04 공감(2) 댓글(0)


영역들은 구분될 수 없다.

게르숌 숄렘의 <<한 우정의 역사>>를 읽었다.

벤야민은 몹시 고독했고, 친구가 필요했다. 그는 경제적 문제에 시달리면서 최대한 자신의 본모습을 지키려고 노력했다. 그를 구원해준 것은 글쓰기였다. 또한 그것을 합당하게 평가해준 친구들이었다. 그가 사랑에 빠졌던 연인들은 그를 구원해주지 못했다. 그의 근본에는 신학적인 믿음이 자리잡고 있다. 신학적인 믿음을 지상에 나타내는 것, 그것을 온전하게 평가하고 드러내주는 것이 그의 사명이었다. 그는 사명을 꽤 잘 수행했다. 그는 실제로 그렇게 불행하지는 않았을 것이다. 실제 생활에서 벗어나서 근본적 목표를 추구하는 데 자신의 대부분의 삶을 사용했기 때문이다. 숄렘 역시 구원을 추구했으나, 구체적인 유태교의 연구로 자신의 삶을 만들어냈다. 하나의 목표가 이끈 삶은 다르면서도 비슷하다는 것.

이들이 추구한 것은 삶과 글쓰기에서의 도덕성이다. 벤야민은 그의 방식으로, 숄렘도 자신의 방식으로 그것을 행했다. 그들의 도덕성은 "영역들은 구분될 수 없다"는 말 속에서 찾을 수 있다. 그렇다. "영역들은 구분될 수 없다."

pp.163

직관의 대상은 감정 가운데 순수한 것으로 알려져 오는 어떤 내용이 지각될 수 있다는 필연성이다. 이 필연성을 듣는 일을 직관이라고 부른다.

pp.209

더 이상 어떤 새로운 것을 고안해내기보다 오히려 주어진 것, 모범적인 것들을 해석하고 변형시키면서 그 속으로 파고들어가는 것.

pp.257

- 어느 비의(秘儀) 개념 -
역사를 하나의 소송으로 기술하기. 이 소송에서 인간은 말없는 자연의 대리인으로서 창조에 대해, 그리고 약속된 메시아가 오지 않는 데 대해 고소를 제기한다. 그러나 재판정은 미래에 올 것에 대한 증언을 청취하기로 결정한다. 미래를 느끼는 시인, 미래를 보는 조각가, 미래를 듣는 음악가, 미래를 아는 철학자가 등장한다. 비록 모두가 메시아의 도래를 증언함에도 불구하고 그들의 증언은 서로 일치하지 않는다. 판결을 내리지 못하는 재판정은 감히 자신의 우유부단함을 자인하려 하지 않는다. 그리하여 새로운 고소가 끊이지 않고 새로운 증인들도 끊임없이 등장한다. 고문과 수난도 있다. 배심원들은 살아있는 사람들로 이루어져 있는데, 이들은 인간인 원고와 증인들 모두를 똑같이 의심하면서 듣는다. 배심원 자리는 그들의 자손들에게 세습된다. 마침내 배심원들은 자신들의 자리에서 쫓겨날지도 모른다는 불안에 휩싸인다. 마지막에 그들은 모두 도망가버리고, 원고와 증인들만 남게된다.

pp.299

카프카에 대한 연구는 욥기에서 시작하거나 적어도 신의 심판의 가능성에 대한 논의에서 시작해야 하네.

pp.394

자네는 종교와 정치의 혼합이 빚은 마지막 희생자는 아닐지라도 어쩌면 '가장 이해할 수 없는' 희생자가 될 것이라는 말일세....시간이 할 수 있는 것은 지성도 할 수 있다네.

pp.400

나는 사람들이 경우에 따라 레닌처럼 글을 쓸 수 있다는 것을 부정하지는 않네. 나는 다만 사람들이 바로 그와는 정반대를 행하면서 그렇게 하고 있다고 믿는 허구를 공격하는 것이네.....통찰들의 도덕성이 이러한 삶에서는 영락할 수밖에 없기 때문에........이 도덕성이라는 가치는 삶에서 중요한 것....
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apunk 2007-10-23 공감(2) 댓글(0)

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Shinto: A History: Hardacre, Helen: 2016 Amazon.com.au: Books

Shinto: A History eBook : Hardacre, Helen: Amazon.com.au: Books




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Shinto: A History Illustrated Edition, Kindle Edition
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Distinguished scholar of Japanese religions and culture Helen Hardacre offers the first comprehensive history of Shinto [?], the ancient and vibrant tradition whose colorful rituals are still practiced today. Under the ideal of Shinto, a divinely descended emperor governs through rituals offered to deities called Kami. These rituals are practiced in innumerable shrines across the realm, so that local rites mirror the monarch's ceremonies. Through this theatre of state, it is thought, the human, natural, and supernatural worlds will align in harmony and prosper.

Often called "the indigenous religion of Japan," Shinto's institutions, rituals, and symbols are omnipresent throughout the island nation. But, perhaps surprisingly, both its religiosity and its Japanese origins have been questioned. Hardacre investigates the claims about Shinto as the embodiment of indigenous tradition, and about its rightful place in the public realm. 

Shinto has often been represented in the West as the engine that drove Japanese military aggression. To this day, it is considered provocative for members of the government to visit the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, which honors the Japanese war dead, and this features as a source of strain in Japan's relations with China and Korea. 

The Yasukuni Shrine is a debated issue in Japanese national politics and foreign relations and reliably attracts intensive media coverage. 

Hardacre contends, controversially, that it was the Allied Occupation that created this stereotype of Shinto as the religion of war, when in fact virtually all branches of Japanese religions were cheerleaders for the war and imperialism.

The history and nature of Shinto are subjects of vital importance for understanding contemporary Japan, its politics, its international relations, and its society. Hardacre's magisterial work will stand as the definitive reference for years to come.

Oxford University Press

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Review

"This brilliant study written in close dialogue with the most recent critical scholarship both in Japanese and English is a welcome addition to the existing literature on Shint=o history, a source of valuable teaching material, and more in general a must-read for all those interested in Shint=o and its interactions with society throughout Japanese history." -- Ugo Dessì, Cardiff University, Religious Studies Review 

"Her portrayal of the history of Shinto is based on decades of her own research, and undoubtedly this work will occupy the rank of a standard work for a long time, both for students and specialists in the field. Shinto research will benefit greatly as a whole. After the turning point marked by the revolutionary approach of Kuroda Toshio, international research on Shinto has since then led to a sometimes ideological dogmatization of what might be said and not. Helen Hardacre's book gives a fresh breath to the debate, which can only deepen our further understanding of the still-puzzling topic of Shinto." -- Klaus Antoni, University of Tübingen, The Journal of Religion

"Shinto: A History is a well written and interesting book, worth the time of readers with an interest in Shinto or Japanese history in general." -- Kenneth J. Valencich, Reading Religion 

"This brilliant study... is a welcome addition... a source of valuable teaching material, and more in general a must-read" -- Ugo Dessi, Religious Studies Review 

"Her portrayal of the history of Shinto is based on decades of her own research, and undoubtedly this work will occupy the rank of a standard work for a long time, both for students and specialists in the field. Shinto research will benefit greatly as a whole. After the turning point marked by the revolutionary approach of Kuroda Toshio, international research on Shinto has since then led to a sometimes ideological dogmatization of what might be said and not. Helen Hardacre's book gives a fresh breath to the debate, which can only deepen our further understanding of the still-puzzling topic of Shinto." --Klaus Antoni, Journal of Religion 

"Hardacre's achievement in this work will be hard to supersede. This book could be used in all kind of courses, from introductory or advanced undergraduate to graduate seminars, not only on Japanese religions but Japanese culture in general and even on comparative subjects. Students will benefit from the comprehensive and in-depth narration, while the book provides ample clues and opportunities for additional research and revisions. Shinto: A History, which in its comprehensive and encyclopedia nature does not even have a counterpart in Japanese, is a scholarly milestone that will orient for years the study of Shinto and Japanese religions as a whole."--Fabio Rambelli, Journal of Religion in Japan 

"At nearly seven hundred pages, it is difficult to think of any adjective other than 'magisterial' to describe Hardacre's new survey on Shinto As the single most comprehensive book on Shinto, Hardacre's book is a must-read her focus on the problems of indigeneity and the public/private distinction moves the field forward considerably."--Jolyon B. Thomas, H-Net Reviews 


"This work has been long anticipated. The culmination of a lifetime's dedication to the study of Japanese religions by a major scholar in the field, Shinto: A History is both authoritative and comprehensive. Professor Hardacre manages to lead us carefully and judiciously on a long journey through what can often be recalcitrant, complex material. The notoriously difficult question 'What is Shinto?' has finally been answered." --Richard Bowring, Professor Emeritus, Japanese Studies, University of Cambridge 

"Shinto: A History is a milestone work for the study of Shinto. Hardacre provides a comprehensive vision to integrate the usually unrelated research on Shinto in the West and in Japan. Calling into question our conventional wisdom about Shinto, the author masterfully demonstrates that Shinto is a heterogeneous tradition that changed with time, and it encompasses not only shrine Shinto and state Shinto but also popular cultural practices including public festivals seemingly unconstrained by the Japanese emperor system." --Jun'ichi Isomae, Study of Religions, Research Department, International Research Center for Japanese Studies 

"Hardacre's study is particularly useful for understanding the religious resources that the Japanese people drew on to build and maintain their local communities. Her subject is their worship of spirits. She argues that spirit worship emerged in earliest times at the core of nativist (Shinto) beliefs. This leads her to investigate in chronological sequence Shinto debates, rituals, and the practices of its priesthood in which the emperor was the chief priest. The result is a very rich, comprehensive account." --Herbert P. Bix, Professor of History, Binghamton University 

"Hardacre, a professor of Japanese religions and society at Harvard, surveys the history of Shinto from ancient Japan to the present in this even-handed and detailed treatment of the topic. Few single-volume histories are this comprehensive... this will serve as a valuable primer for college classes, or for those simply interested in Shinto, and it will be sure to stand as the definitive factual treatment for years to come."--Publishers Weekly 

--This text refers to the hardcover edition.


Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; Illustrated edition (1 November 2016)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 698 pages
==

Customer Reviews:
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John L. Piper
5.0 out of 5 stars Shinto & BuddhismReviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 July 2020
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I have been fascinated with Shinto since the mid 1970's when I spent a period living in Kashima Village a stones throw from the shrine and studying swordsmanship literally in the shadow of the jingu, being taught by Yoshikawa sensei whose family had been diviners and shrine protector's since the shrines beginnings, or before shrine was first built according to family traditions. Paying respect at the jingu early each morning when it was quiet & empty was a memorable experience and had a great effect on me.

Till reading this book I had always blindly accepted the usual statement of Shinto being the pure native 'faith of Japan', most shrine buildings obviously were strongly influenced by Buddhist architecture but I had never really considered the ethos of Shinto except in the terms of a pure, indigenous faith. 

This publication has really opened my eyes, in a way the dual nature of Shinto has if anything strengthened it and as the Japanese do not see things as 'black or white' but seemingly as myriad shades of grey it has made it easier for Shinto & Buddhism to co-exist except when Shinto came to be used for political & nationalist reasons in the Meiji period.

So putting aside personal sentimental & spiritual reasons for my love of Shinto I can recommend this work to anyone who has a genuine, serious and open minded interest in the 'religions' of Japan - an obviously well researched volume, lots of paper for your money and hopefully a guide to future research, I would love to see an English language work on the history of the Kashima & Katori Jingu!
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Chris Winwood
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a phenomenally useful book. Giving in depth analysis of various aspect ...Reviewed in Canada on 26 January 2018
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This is a phenomenally useful book. Giving in depth analysis of various aspect of Shinto as well as arguing various points that may not have been well argued in previous literature. It also links Shinto with Japanese history and its impact on these specific periods of time enabling a deep understanding of how Shinto has impacted the development of Japan as a nation.

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Rini
5.0 out of 5 stars Academic GodsendReviewed in the United States on 10 May 2017
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This book is not really for the novice nor for the contemporary Shinto acolyte. Hardacre traces the development of Shinto from a more political and academic aspect than any spiritual discussion. This shouldn't be too much of a surprise considering her previous book was about State Shinto, and, in this book, she more or less pulls together the development of State Shinto from Shinto's pre-"Shinto" beginnings (This is a debatable point, which is why I said it like that). 

She also discusses the structure of Shinto religion and a lot of technical information on shrine building and development, but for someone like me who is more interested in the development of "Modern Shinto" from the nascent writing in the 7th-8th C, it was a great read. She does discuss other historians and their take on Shinto, and, oddly, she spends very little time on actual discussion on what nationalism is, but, again, I suspect it is because she already expects the reader to have some background in the historical and historiographical discussions about "Shinto" and its involvement with Buddhism, politics, and the shift in Japanese mindset in the mid- to late-19th C.

People who dive into this without much historical background are likely to be overwhelmed by most of the rhetoric, although I have to hand it to Hardacre, her writing style is less bland than most writing in history. Her chapters around 1853 through 1952 (Black Ships through official end of US Occupation) were great from a historical point of view. Again, unsurprising considering her strengths. She writes right into the Heisei (now), but I have to admit I was somewhat disappointed at her lackluster discussion of it at the end, especially given the developments in Japan over the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and their love of State Shinto, especially since the 1980s. I would like to see more movement into Abe's administration.

Again, her discussion of nationalism, bolstered by briefly mentioning scholars like Walter Skya, was rather lacking in such an ambitious book. But I give it 5 stars because, as a developing academic in Japanese/Shinto History, I loved this book.It was an in-depth read that I always wanted on the topic, warts and all.

In other words, for this book, it is better to have some knowledge of other writers in this area. She does take from well-known scholars in Shinto, such as DC Holtom and John Breen, but I'm not sure I would have got as much out of this without a long bibliographical reading list to back me up. She did lead me to Japan's Holy War: The Ideology of Radical Shinto Ultranationalism (Asia-Pacific: Culture, Politics, and Society) , which is an interesting look at Japanese Nationalism. Regardless, this is for scholars more than the public. Great book!
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May 11, 2023
"Later on, a variety of new institutional combinations emerged... in response to a desire to discover how the Kami and Buddhist figures were related. The search for correspondences and connections led to institutions that — in effect — amalgamated worship of Kami and Buddhas," (97).

While looking for a book about Shinto, I had basically four desiderata:

1. A scholarly work that considers how "Shinto" has been historically constructed and contested, rather than regarding Shinto as a fixed system of doctrines or a unitary tradition.

2. Relatedly, a work that describes Shinto practices and beliefs rather than being a confessional or prescriptive work exhorting readers into "the Kami Way."

3. A work that will not only consider philosophical and religious texts, but other media and arts in its study of the history of Shinto.

4. A work that, as part of its scholarly lens, takes account of the various schools of thought or areas of debate in Shinto studies, and gives the reader a lay of the land.

This book checks off each requirement.

Hardacre, the Reischauer Institute Professor of Japanese Religions and Society at Harvard, organizes her study of Shinto around two thematic dichotomies: the rhetoric of Shinto as "indigenous" versus "foreign" influences (e.g., Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, the West) and public space versus private space.

She shows how the poles of these two dichotomies have been shifting and unstable throughout the history of Shinto, from different depictions of what counts as “foreign” in the Kojiki and Nihon shoki to debates about religion and "the public good" in Japan in the 21st century, including Shinto’s institutional connections to conservative and reactionary political agendas. It concludes with a couple of case studies on how Kami are depicted in popular culture in Japan, including Princess Mononoke.

On the thorny question of the origins of Shinto, Hardacre argues that, although the term "Shinto" was not used at the time, its beginnings can be traced to the annual calendar of Kami rituals established by the Jingiryō law code in the 8th century, and the branch of government called the Jingikan or "Ministry of Divinities" that was created under the ritsuryō government to oversee the administration of Kami-related affairs at the imperial court and throughout the provinces. Hardacre then traces the various ligaments of tradition, family resemblances and paradigm shifts, through the centuries.

Some of the most intriguing Shinto intellectuals Hardacre discusses include Yoshida Kanetomo (1435-1511), who reversed the classic honji-suijaku framework, making the Kami rather than Buddhas fundamental; Kurozumi Munetada (1780-1850), leader of a Shinto-derived new religious order; and Motoori Norinaga (1730-1801) and Hirata Atsutane (1776-1843), both Kokugaku or "nativist" thinkers in the Edo period.

Norinaga's reading of The Tale of Genji as beyond moral rationality was particularly interesting, and Atsutane's theory of the afterlife as an invisible yet present realm was one of the most engaging parts of the book. I also really enjoyed the sections on religious pilgrimages and how Shinto practices gave rise to and were expressed in various arts, included dramatic performance and visual arts.

The book is organized chronologically in groups of chapters around the ancient period, the medieval period, the Edo period, the Meiji state and Imperial Japan, and post-1945 Japan to the contemporary era. It reads like and is probably used as a textbook, but in a way I appreciated: well-organized with plenty of subheadings, tables distilling information, and helpful images. I only wish the main table of contents had included the subheadings to more easily pinpoint specific sections.

Anyhow, if you're interested in learning about Shinto, I feel like (and I say this as a complete and utter layperson) this is the book to read.
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Kusaimamekirai
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July 6, 2017
Stretching from the earliest of creation myths up to the present day, this is as comprehensive study of Shinto as you’re likely to find. Examined from a wide spectrum of perspectives such as political, social, religious, gender, and others, I am in awe of Hardacre’s scholarship and her dedication in putting this book together.
All that being said, this is a scholarly text. While highly readable, there are a dizzying array of names, histories, and theories that seem overwhelming at times for someone like me with very little grounding in the subject. She presumes some basic knowledge of Shinto on the part of the reader and doesn’t spend an excessive amount of time in any one ares.
Personally, I felt she struck just the right balance between thoroughness and getting bogged down on any particular aspect. Of particular interest to me were the chapters following the Edo period and how Shinto went from something that in its earliest incarnations coexisted in harmony with Buddhism and other religions to something that was used by men of varying motives to promote nationalism to the exclusion of other beliefs.
In totality, what emerges is a belief system that has undergone multiple incarnations and despite an aging population, financial issues, and declining interest in “religion” on the whole, remains a vital part of many communities and the national identity.

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Charlie Canning
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April 10, 2018
The State of Shinto

When it comes to writing history, the use of chronology as an organizing principle may seem like an inevitable choice. An historian may have to account for something that is thousands of years old. What better place to start than at the beginning?

In the case of Helen Hardacre's Shinto: A History, however, I'm not so sure. This is because what constitutes Shinto and separates it from other religions (if Shinto was a religion) was not properly formulated until after the arrival of Buddhism and Confucianism. Even then, any proper analysis was / is murky due to the syncretism of Shinto, Buddhism and Confucianism throughout Japanese history.

Beyond writing this review, my primary motivation in reading Hardacre's study was to understand how Shinto works. Although Hardacre did get there eventually, the largest part of Shinto: A History consists of an incredibly detailed account of the institutional / bureaucratic manifestations of Shinto from the Council of Divinities (Jingikan) in the seventh century to present day Heisei.

The clearest and most complete exposition of what Shinto is and how it operates in Japanese society is to be found roughly halfway through the book in a section on Shinto theologian Hirata Atsutane (1776-1843). Atsutane built on earlier Kokugaku (National Learning) thought that posited that the Emperor was at the head of the Kami and that the Kami were subjected to him in the same way that the subjects of the realm were. Atsutane's genius was in integrating ancestor worship and the simultaneous presence of spirits in the spiritual realm and the manifest world. (339) When combined with prayers at shrines and household kamidana, "The effect is to bind the worshipper into a hierarchy of Kami stretching from the emperor and the highest Kami down to the ancestors, from the beginning of time to the present, creating an image of a single community, including the ancestral Kami, united through worship of the Kami." (342) Ancestor worship is a lineage-based system – a bloodline, if you will – with the Kami as its source. The Emperor is a living Kami and all Japanese both alive and dead are related to this main line of transmission.

It is interesting to note that up until the death and resurrection of Christ, both Judaism and early Christianity were lineage based. Jesus was a direct descendent of King David. The passing of the baton to the Apostles rather than to an heir (Dan Brown notwithstanding) revolutionized the transmission system in the West. By making the Holy Spirit available to lowly fisherman, tax collectors, and Gentiles, Christ shifted the power structure from a bloodline or lineage-based system to a spirit system available to all.

As Hardacre makes clear, Shinto was predominantly a closed system expressly formulated to reflect Japanese circumstances. Although various Shinto theologians did attempt to fashion Shinto into a complete world view so that it could stand up to Buddhism and Confucianism, Shinto was never meant to explain how things worked outside of Japan. To put it another way, I can be a Buddhist or Confucian in my home state of Maine. But no matter how many times I climb Mt. Katahdin or worship our governor, I cannot practice Shinto there.

In the final third of Shinto: A History, Hardacre takes issue with the characterization of State Shinto as being largely responsible for the rise of Imperial Japan and its conduct during the Pacific War (1931-1945). Although a case could be made for Shinto being used to instill notions of patriotism and sacrifice among the populace, Hardacre writes that: "The Occupation view of Shinto in relation to militarism or nationalism was, however, unbalanced and distorted . . . virtually all other branches of Japanese religions up to 1945 similarly devoted themselves to prayers for military victory, exaltation of the martial spirit, and justification of Japan's supposed mission to rule all of Asia." (444)

The surprising thing to me is not that Buddhism was involved in the war effort – after all the Catholic Church gave Hitler the green light – but that a military man like Douglas MacArthur and his cohorts at SCAP understood Shinto almost as well as Hirata Atsutane did.

Those who see religion as a myth-based code of values subject to rational analysis fail to understand its true nature. Any religion worthy of its name is nothing more than a power structure designed to attract and deliver power to the spiritual entity that it serves. It does this by eliciting a pledge of devotion during a person’s lifetime. Once the pledge has been given, the die is cast and the soul is in thrall to whatever spiritual force it has given its allegiance to.

From his time in the Philippines, MacArthur understood that a Japanese soldier in service to the Emperor could not be defeated short of annihilation because of the way Imperial Japan was configured. Each individual soldier was part of something stretching backwards and forwards in time that crossed the boundary between the living and the dead. State Shinto had tapped into the local power supply at every village shrine and hamlet and added it to the grid. The only way to ultimately defeat something like this was to dismantle it.

Fortunately, what is true for Shinto's negatives (how it might be utilized for militarism) is also true for its positives (how it might be utilized for community). In a chapter called "Shrine Festivals and Their Changing Place in the Public Sphere" Hardacre shows us that Shinto festivals are very much a part of contemporary Japan. While visits to Yasukuni Shrine and the separation of church and state remain controversial, the vast majority of Shinto observances and rituals are peaceful and life affirming. State Shinto may be gone, but the Kami are very much with us.

From the review published in Kyoto Journal 90.

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Jerrod
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April 8, 2020
I hate to abandon books like this. Usually, dry, academic writing doesn't bother me, but this is just an info dump without much unifying structure or attempt at story-telling. There were many instances where I found myself thinking that I would read 150 pages about a subject that Hardacre spent one paragraph on, but overall I would not recommend this. The competition between shrines and temples was most interesting but was the topic that had the least in depth treatment. I would have read an entire chapter on licensure and certification. Perhaps if this had been organized by topic rather than chronologically, it would have been more interesting.

I think it is becoming clearer to me that broad, sweeping histories are usually not done well. For a good example of religious history, read Eire's Reformations.

Notes:
- practice of commendation became prominent in the 11th century, where a local proprietor would "commend" a parcel of land to a shrine (which made that parcel immune from taxation) and that proprietor would usually continue as caretaker of that land.
- by the late Heian period, Buddhism had become dominant among the court and aristocracy
- centralized administration of shrines dissolved during the medieval period
- during the medieval period Shinto/non-Buddhist practices began to develop rituals and philosophies that gradually became less subordinate to buddhism - Kami and Buddhist deities developed from being seen as somewhat natural forces to enforcers of moral principles
- undergoing religious rites essentially bestowed a credential on priest, allowing them more knowledge and more authority in their practice at local shrines (making them stronger competitors in relation to nearby shrines)
- throughout the history of Shinto (particularly through the medieval period), genealogies that included various deities were highly desirable to various elites
- Watarai Shinto (developing in 1256) began to relativize Buddhism and integrate non-Buddhist texts- by the early 13th century, temple-shrine complexes had become the largest landowners in the country (e.g. Enryakuji had more than 3800 buildings in 20 sq. km. with 3000 priest in residence and had at least 370 branches across the country)
- Shinto during the medieval developed from focusing mostly as a royal/sovereign collection of beliefs and rites that had a more public practice to one of performing private ritual and transmitting "secret" knowledge- most divinities worshipped in rear and underground chambers of medieval shrines are not found in the Kojiki or Nihon shoki
- sacred dance and music developed into entertainment. in the 13th century there were complaints that jinin (shrine personnel) taking the miko to perform at private parties involving alcohol and vulgar dancing (this lead in some cases to the jinin's houses being destroyed in addition to them losing their position at the shrine
- shrine paintings that were made for aristocrats were also copied in inexpensive form and used by itinerant religious proselytizers to attract crowds. The public explanations of the pictures helped pilgrims find their way through a complicated site or to explain doctrine
- in the 13th century, religious institutions were able to successfully protests some decisions by the royal court through the court's fear of divine retribution
- in the mid- to late-15th century Yoshida Kanetomo became a prominent religious official supporting a view the Japan was not a peripheral sphere in cosmogonical terms, but central. He pushed for state support of Shinto 
- in the 14th century (due to the lack of tribute coming from imperial court) the Ise shrines became dependent on nearby peasants, so they had to offer commercialized ritual services that met the locals religious needs and desires
- Kanetomo issued certificates raising ranks (requests for certificates came with lavish gifts the provided Kanetomo a handsome income) to individuals or individual shrines, instead of to all shrines or groups of shrines
- Kanetomo began conducting esoteric transmissions to outside couriers, warriors, and Buddhist monks, usually in conjunction with soliciting patronage and official recognition
- In 1449, the Outer Shrine at Ise blockaded the road to the Inner Shrine leading to a cycle of attacks through 1489
- Kanetomo's authority was not necessarily accepted beyond the capital and the major shrines
- In the medieval period, regional priestly associations formed around an area's most powerful shrine, with the head priest determining ranks, titles, and vestments that subordinates could use
- The Yoshida house began issuing indulgences which undermined the authority regional associations
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Matthew Gurteen
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A pervasive and formal history of Japan's 'native' religion. I enjoyed reading about the origins of Shinto from the ancient period to modern media's approach to the Kami and worship. Shinto: A History is an incredibly well-research academic text, although I certainly felt like I was in over my head with a lot of it. This is not a book for someone who knows nothing about Shinto, nor is it for someone who, like me, has some knowledge of the religion but is mostly uninformed. Instead, only someone well-versed in Shinto history will be able to appreciate this text fully. Hardacre could have made it more approachable for the everyday reader. Ultimately this was not her intention, however, so I can't judge the book for that. For anyone who is going to read it, know that it is a heavily academic text. I have a similar background, but I struggled with how the information is presented in this book. The inclusion of illustrations from the author's own collection did help explain points, but there are not many of them.

Although, for the most part, it was well-written, some passages were repetitive and had odd-word choices, possible due to translation. I did not appreciate Hardacre repeatedly calling the more impoverished people of Japan from all periods 'commoners.' Again, maybe this was an aspect of translation. It felt condescending and out of place in an otherwise modern formal text, however.

Overall, as I said above, I could only really recommend this book to someone who is incredibly interested in Shinto and/or has a background researching it. I enjoyed reading it, and I am glad to have it on my shelves. I cannot see myself referring back to it in the future, however.

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November 30, 2017
I think "slog" is the right word for this, but remove any negative connotation because it's one of the most comprehensive, detailed, and thorough books on Shinto I've ever read. It will take you through each dynasty in detail, along with rich descriptions of that period of time, the current socioeconomic and political climate, and of course how Shinto was evolving as a spiritual set of rituals, and as a "religion." Words like "religion" "spiritual" "State religion" are all contextualized for the place and time, and also against the creation myths associated with them that bring color to history. It's complicated relationship and interplay with Buddhism is explored as well. We see Shinto's context in a rural sense, governed by nature, and what happens when man places its hands on it to exert influence and rule. The details of the rituals were rich and multi-faceted, and the illustrations were extremely appreciated though, reading a hardcover edition, the tables were a little frustrating only because turning the heavy book sort of took me out of the experience a bit.

Summarily, this is something I want on my shelf. The bibliography and footnotes would keep me occupied for days, and there are definitely more primary resources to explore.

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February 8, 2021
I absolutely loved this book. It gives a good overview of the Shinto religion and its role in history, although I should state that it does not go into as much detail on the topics as I wish it would have liked (but for the length of the book, it does an effective job of explaining the basics). The way the different topics are organized and the way each is presented and written are well done. It is not an in-depth look at the Shinto religion itself, but it is a great book to introduce historical significance and related issues. I would recommend it for people interested in the topic, but not for people outside of academia. I could see this book as a good textbook for an introductory course on Shinto as it does have well-written sections that could be assigned as readings that match up with important topics.

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July 19, 2017
Extremely detailed and thorough. Very much on the topic of an institutional and cultural history. Be warned it is a bit of a slog but a rewarding one.
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May 28, 2021
Incredibly informative and quite absorbing, though the style is a little too academic for my taste.

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December 27, 2022
A really deep look at the history of Shinto. Another one of my "long reads". Maybe it'll be this time next year before I finish it!

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Joe Wang
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June 18, 2023
A very good history of Japanese Shinto and Helen Hardacre is a real specialist in this area.

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Raymond Paquette
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February 24, 2023
My friend mentioned some of the stories mentioned in the book. How Ninigi chose the beautiful woman to be his bride after he descended and rejected the ugly sister. In doing so he also rejected immortality for death. I had never heard that one before. In addition I’ve always thought Japan was quite matrilineal, with the woman having more power, but followed a patrilineal culture. Its roots may go back to the 7th and 8th century, or it may not. That’s the fun part of history. It can mean anything you want it too. I’ve lived here a while and the amount of stories I don’t know but still see flavoring the culture today is exciting to explore.

The first four chapters dictate the rise of early Shinto and its association with Buddhism. Compared to the sophistication of Buddhism Shinto seemed simple and associated with the popular movements of the time. It never disappeared from the Japanese perspective and could cause profound damage if disrespected. Or so was believed. It never became as important as Buddhism but it was always necessary.

As I get closer to the end of the book I think I can recognize that the idea of Shinto became more important than the practice itself. The Japanese government tried to classify it as a cultural necessity not a religion. As long as you worshiped at the shrines you were welcome to hold another religion, provided it didn`t interfere with Shinto. Even today many say they are born Shinto and the die Buddhist.

Today I have been to many shrines and while they are quite beautiful they are never busy. As a religion Shinto doesn’t really stand out and has a negative association with the government but its quietness is exactly what makes it so unique and interesting.

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 vii
 
CONTENT S





Acknowledgments ix
Notes for the Reader xiii

Introduction 1

1. Shinto in the Ancient Period 17

2. The Kami in Myth 47

3. The Coalescence of Early Shinto 71

4. Shinto during the Middle and Late Heian Period, Tenth through Twelfth Centuries 109

5. The Esotericization of Medieval Shinto 147

6. Medieval Shinto and the Arts 177

7. The Late Medieval Period 207

8. Early Edo-Period Shinto Thought and Institutions 235

9. Edo-Period Shrine Life and Shrine Pilgrimage 263

10. Shinto and Revelation 299

11. Shinto and Kokugaku 323

 
 
12. Shinto and the Meiji State 355

13. Shinto and Imperial Japan 403

14. Shinto from 1945 through 1989 441

15. Shrine Festivals and Their Changing Place in the Public Sphere 475

16. Heisei Shinto 509

Appendix: Shrine Funding 551 Selected List of Characters 557 Chronology 573
Abbreviations 587
Notes 589
Bibliography 659
Index 681