Gender in New Religions

Religious Experience Stories and the Vitalistic Conception of Salvation

Abstract

This paper aims at demonstrating that the perspective of gender is indispensable in research on religion. Accordingly, stories of religious experience in Japan’s new religions (shin shūkyō) were examined from the perspectives of salvation and gender.

In a well-known article on the “vitalistic conception of salvation” (seimeishugiteki kyūsai kan), this common belief system―shared by new religions in Japan―is discussed; however, it does not address the perspective of gender. Nevertheless, in certain stories of religious experiences, the influence of gender is evident.

In this study, I examine narratives of mothers and fathers as well as husbands and wives based on stories of religious experience as found in multiple religious organizations. Furthermore, I examined the gendered order functioning therein.

I found that a gendered order has a significant influence regarding the ascription of meaning to suffering and salvation. Views of salvation and gendered orders change under the influence of societal changes. Consequently, viewpoints related to both societal change and gender are indispensable for research on religion.