“Chinese and Japanese Popular Religions”

If possible, interview a practicing Daoist or Shinto individual or a leader of one of their temples, which can be used as an academic resource for this assignment. If you would like to take pictures during your visit to this community or place of worship, be sure to obtain permission.
Complete the provided “Chinese and Japanese Popular Religions” document prompts that analyze key issues in Chinese and Japanese popular religions.
Utilize the course textbook and a minimum of four additional academic resources, one of which can be your interview and should include topic materials and external resources. Use at least one resource per question.
APA style is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.

ANSWER

INT-244: Chinese and Japanese Popular Religions

Complete the following prompts by analyzing key issues in Chinese and Japanese popular religions. A minimum of five academic resources is required, one of which must be the course textbook. Use at least one resource per question.

1. Briefly summarize five key features of Chinese popular religion (shamanism/ancestor worship, Chinese idolatry, Confucianism, Daoism, and Chinese Mahayana Buddhism). (100 words or less)

• Key Feature #1: Pursuit for health
• Key Feature #2: Wealth
• Key Feature #3: Happiness
• Key Feature #4: Respecting Elders
• Key Feature #5: Holy places of worship
• < Clart, P. (2012). Chinese popular religion. The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Chinese Religions, 61, 219. >

2. Briefly summarize three key features of Japanese popular religion (Shintoism, Japanese Buddhism, and Confucianism). (100 words or less)

• Key Feature #1: Good vs. Evil
• Key Feature #2: Purification
• Key Feature #3: Offerings
• < Kitagawa, J. M. (1987). On understanding Japanese religion. Princeton University Press. >

3. Describe key religious practices for an individual follower of Chinese popular religion in his or her daily life (e.g., arranging a marriage, funerals, etc.). (approximately 100 words)

In Han Buddhism that is very popular in China the teacher is responsible for the physical mental, spiritual and moral development of the students. The teacher incorporates the students in the duty to serve in religious places and to do their activities well. Through activity, the students target at achieving ‘enlightenment’ as their teacher supposedly has.

4. Describe key religious practices for an individual follower of Japanese popular religion in his or her daily life (e.g., emperor’s birthday, birth of a baby, etc.). (approximately 100 words)

In Shintoism in Japan, a teacher performs rituals such as purification, adoration, offering, prayer, music and dance. The teacher is thought as someone with a better understanding of the religion and therefore others look to him or her to provide insight and direction in any particular activity.

5. Explain how you think Christians might approach interactions with followers of Chinese or Japanese popular religions in a respectful, constructive manner while maintaining clarity and faithfulness to the message of Christianity. (200-250 words)

While the beliefs of all Chinese and Japanese religions vary greatly with regards to Christianity, the religions are heavily reliant on internal and external peace. The religion teach love, devotion, kindness and justice just as Christianity does. This means the language of all these religions are similar where in a largely chaotic world believers gather their thought and thing of peace and love as the target of their ambitions. This means that approaching interactions with either one of these religions would be fairly easy and smooth because beyond the belief the principles are the same. Starting from this point and working the way up to talk about the one God who is responsible for all goodness is the world is possible after that. The idea would be that someone watches out for us, the one who built human as innately good and responsible and it is to him that we owe out commitments.