I would like to start this first part of my series on Shinto with an apology! This post will be very heavy on the definitions. It might be a somewhat hard start to the series, but it is, unfortunately, necessary. To understand State Shinto, as is the focus of this series, we must understand civil religion and choose a definition of State Shinto. I promise that the next posts in the series will not be as difficult to get through.
First, the Basics! What is a Civil Religion?
Civil religion is a term used in the sociology of religion. It describes a phenomenon where a nation becomes holy. There are two types of civil religion. One is a top-down civil religion. This is a civil religion created by the state and not the people. The second kind of civil religion is a bottom-up religion. This simply means that the people create the religion themselves. Besides these two versions, there are also two different definitions of civil religion. Now, I will give you these, but if you want to look further into this, dive into the sources at the end.
The Definitions
John Coleman is who we get the first definition from. “Civil religion is a special case of the religious symbol system, designed to perform a differentiated function, which is the unique province of neither church nor state. It is a set of symbolic forms and acts, which relate man as citizen and his society in world history to the ultimate conditions of his existence. Civil religion is, however, not always or usually clearly differentiated either from the church or from the state”
And Meredith McGuire is who we get the second from. “Civil religion is the expression of the cohesion of the nation. It transcends denominational, ethnic, and religious boundaries. It includes rituals by which members commemorate significant national events and renew their commitment to society. Such rituals and representations are religious in that they often represent the nation—the people—as a higher and more valuable reality than mere (i.e., human) social contract and convention“
The main difference between these two definitions is that John Coleman sees civil religion as constructed by the state. Meredith McGuire sees it as a more organic expression of the nation’s coherence. What both these definitions have in common, however, is that both are “outsider” terms. You would never hear a person say that they practice civil religion. It is exclusively used in research.
Now! State Shinto!
Like with civil religion, there is no ironclad definition of the term State Shinto. But the one I use myself is the one put forward by Shimazono Susume in 2009. Shinto is the belief in the kami, which is bound to Japan. State Shinto is Shinto, which focuses on the nation and worship of the emperor. Shrine Shinto was the foundation that supported State Shinto, but State Shinto existed before the state established Shrine Shinto. Besides this, a big aspect of State Shinto is Court Shinto (i.e., the rituals performed by the emperor’s court). Court Shinto’s effect and influence on the people were essential in spreading State Shinto’s ideals.
This definition of State Shinto is one of the more all-encompassing definitions. Other researchers have other definitions, but I have chosen Shimazono’s because I find it to be the most helpful in truly understanding how widespread and integrated State Shinto became in Japanese society between 1868 and 1945. If you have any interest in the other definitions, please don’t hesitate to ask!
Congratulations! You made it to the end! You now have a foundation to understand the rest of this series. Some of the terms used in this post will be explored more in-depth throughout the series, so fret not if there are some things that you didn’t understand.
As always, if you have any comments or questions, please reach out to me here or on my Instagram. I would love to help!
Sources
Hvithamar, Annika & Warburg, Margit. “Introducing Civil Religion, Nationalism And Globalization”. Holy Nations and Global Identities. Brill NV, Leiden: 2009
Coleman, John A. 1970. Civil Religion, Sociological Analysis 31: 67–77.
McGuire, Meredith B. 1997. Religion. The Social Context. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
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