Protocol of the Gods: A Study of the Kasuga Cult in Japanese History

by Allan G. Grapard

The Protocol of the Gods is a pioneering study of the history of relations between Japanese native institutions (Shinto shrines) and imported Buddhist institutions (Buddhist temples). Using the Kasuga Shinto shrine and the Kofukuji Buddhist temple, one of the oldest and largest of the shrine-temple complexes, Allan Grapard characterizes what he calls the combinatory character of pre-modern Japanese religiosity. He argues that Shintoism and Buddhism should not be studied in isolation, as hitherto supposed. Rather, a study of the individual and shared characteristics of their respective origins, evolutions, structures, and practices can serve as a model for understanding the pre-modern Japanese religious experience.

Spanning the years from a period before historical records to the forcible separation of the Kasuga-Kofukuji complex by the Meiji government in 1868, Grapard presents a wealth of little-known material. He includes translations of rare texts and provides new, accessible translations of familiar documents.

Genres: Japan, Buddhism

312 pages, Hardcover

First published December 15, 1992

Reviews

[LilithEmm · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pioneering study of Japanese religion through the lens of a particular shrine-temple complex and its massive influence on city, province and court. While at times quite detailed and tedious, the breadth of this study and the conclusions drawn are both important and impressive.