Bernhard Scheid: Der eine und einzige Weg der Götter. Yoshida Kanetomo und die Erfindung des Shinto

Abstract

Although the Shinto religion is the major indigenous religious tradition of Japan it is remarkable that, compared with Buddhism, there is no very great flood of publications on the subject. The earliest period of Japanese culture, including Shinto, has been addressed with some good studies and translations. Similarly the modern period from the mid-nineteenth century onwards has also attracted top-quality research, partly because of the political relevance. Yet this leaves many centuries of history for which first-class studies of Shinto in western languages are simply lacking. The purpose of Bernhard Scheid's study of "Yoshida Shinto" is to help to bridge the gap between the ancient and the modern periods. It is a very original piece of work which makes a most significant contribution to the overall history of Shinto.