What do you think?
Rate this book
Shinto: A Celebration of Life
Shinto is an ancient faith of forests and snow-capped mountains. It sees the divine in rocks and streams, communing with spirit worlds through bamboo twigs and the evergreen sakaki tree. Yet it is also the manicured suburban garden and the blades of grass between cracks in city paving stones. Structured around ritual cleansing, Shinto contains no concept of sin. It reveres ancestors, but thinks little about the afterlife, asking us to live in, and improve, the present. Central to Shinto is intuitive acceptance of the divine power contained in all living things. Dai Shizen (Great Nature) is the life force with which we ally ourselves through spiritual practice and living simply. This is not asceticism, but an affirmation of all aspects of life. Musubi (organic growth) provides a model for reconciling ancient intuition with modern science, modern society with primal human needs. Shinto is an unbroken indigenous path that now reaches beyond its native Japan. It has special relevance to us a
178 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 16, 2011
12 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 22, 2014
I would have liked to have given this 4 stars as it was the first english language study of the actual philosophy behind shintoism rather than simply a description of shrines and rituals....but there was a but too much contemporary editorializing on unrelated issues which, even if I agreed with many of the points raised, did not add to the core of the narrative.
May 13, 2018
Shinto: A Celebration of Life introduces you to three of the most important ideas associated with the Way of Kami, or Shintoism, the native faith of Japan. By presenting an alternative way of thinking, Aidan Rankin offers you a way into the world of Shinto, hoping that you will embrace at least some aspects of it in your awareness of what is most important in both your social and environmental milieu. In addition to explaining about Kami (animating principles, spirits, essences, or deities), Rankin also explores the two concepts of Kannagara, the process of tuning in to Kami power and learning to live with the principle of nature, and of Musubi, which is the principle of organic growth, in accordance with which all that is in the universe acts.
Shintoism has a number of features that the average Westerner finds appealing, as does it a number that do not. Part of the appeal of Shinto lies in its recognition of the centrality of natural forces to the well-being of humankind. For example, the worship of the Sun Goddess as “the continuation of an ancient solar cult” no doubt appeals to those of us who revere the sun as a source of life-giving energy and of universal renewal. The appreciation of nature that lies at the heart of Shinto, likewise, is bound to find favor with all who appreciate the multiplicity and diversity of natural form.
However, there are aspects of Shintoism that have led to this way of life being regarded with less favor by some. Rankin explains how Shintoism has “on occasion been abused or manipulated for sinister ends. During World War II, especially, Shinto imagery was used by an oppressive and expansionist regime.” Rankin points out that such misuse of iconography routinely occurs in Europe and North America today as the extreme right exploits symbols of both Christianity and paganism for its own nefarious ends, so in no way is it unique to Shintoism. Such abuse should in no way be allowed to sully the integrity of the original faith and practice.
Rankin also explores the hierarchical nature of Shinto, pointing out that, at times in the past, the Emperor has been regarded as a “deity in his own right, descended from the Sun Goddess Amaterasu.” However, any hint of the exclusivity of Shinto and that it is a faith that is only intended for the Japanese people is also refuted by Rankin. As he indicates, the evolution of Shintoism has been influenced by a number of other faiths, including Taoism and Buddhism, resulting in its universality and non-exclusivity.
Rankin’s style is highly accessible and his fluent description of the various aspects of Shinto flows freely throughout Shinto: A Celebration of Life. Rather than referring to numerous experts on Shinto by name in the body of the text, Rankin uses endnotes to explain the finer details of some of the points that he wishes to make, as well as to source the most salient writings that he has used in his work. In addition to clearly explaining each Shinto concept to which he refers in the text, he also provides a short explanation of the term in a glossary at the end of the book. The only relatively minor fault that can be found with this introduction to the ancient faith and practice of Shinto is that it is not illustrated—even a border of relevant symbols would have given this work added vibrancy.
Shintoism has a number of features that the average Westerner finds appealing, as does it a number that do not. Part of the appeal of Shinto lies in its recognition of the centrality of natural forces to the well-being of humankind. For example, the worship of the Sun Goddess as “the continuation of an ancient solar cult” no doubt appeals to those of us who revere the sun as a source of life-giving energy and of universal renewal. The appreciation of nature that lies at the heart of Shinto, likewise, is bound to find favor with all who appreciate the multiplicity and diversity of natural form.
However, there are aspects of Shintoism that have led to this way of life being regarded with less favor by some. Rankin explains how Shintoism has “on occasion been abused or manipulated for sinister ends. During World War II, especially, Shinto imagery was used by an oppressive and expansionist regime.” Rankin points out that such misuse of iconography routinely occurs in Europe and North America today as the extreme right exploits symbols of both Christianity and paganism for its own nefarious ends, so in no way is it unique to Shintoism. Such abuse should in no way be allowed to sully the integrity of the original faith and practice.
Rankin also explores the hierarchical nature of Shinto, pointing out that, at times in the past, the Emperor has been regarded as a “deity in his own right, descended from the Sun Goddess Amaterasu.” However, any hint of the exclusivity of Shinto and that it is a faith that is only intended for the Japanese people is also refuted by Rankin. As he indicates, the evolution of Shintoism has been influenced by a number of other faiths, including Taoism and Buddhism, resulting in its universality and non-exclusivity.
Rankin’s style is highly accessible and his fluent description of the various aspects of Shinto flows freely throughout Shinto: A Celebration of Life. Rather than referring to numerous experts on Shinto by name in the body of the text, Rankin uses endnotes to explain the finer details of some of the points that he wishes to make, as well as to source the most salient writings that he has used in his work. In addition to clearly explaining each Shinto concept to which he refers in the text, he also provides a short explanation of the term in a glossary at the end of the book. The only relatively minor fault that can be found with this introduction to the ancient faith and practice of Shinto is that it is not illustrated—even a border of relevant symbols would have given this work added vibrancy.
July 10, 2021
I wanted to love this book. Resources on Shinto that go beyond mechanistic descriptions of shrines and rituals are hard to find, and this one was helpful in that it was one of the only books I've read that went into the philosophy of Shinto.
What frustrated me was that in practice, only about 20% of the book was actually about Shinto. The other 80% was long digressions about politics and economics, or extended comparisons between ideas in Shinto and similar ideas in more familiar systems (Western thought, Buddhism, etc.) Oddly, I picked up a book entitled "Shinto" because I wanted to know about Shinto, not about economics or the similarities between Shinto and Jungian thought.
I've noticed that a lot of books about ancient or indigenous religions treat their subject matter less as something that's interesting and worthwhile in and of itself and more as something whose main value is its potential to patch social problems in Western society. Am I the only one who finds that kind of offensive? There wasn't a lot here about Shinto in Japan, or about how it's changed the lives of Western converts; instead, the focus was on the ways in which Rankin believes Shinto would fix Western culture.
What frustrated me was that in practice, only about 20% of the book was actually about Shinto. The other 80% was long digressions about politics and economics, or extended comparisons between ideas in Shinto and similar ideas in more familiar systems (Western thought, Buddhism, etc.) Oddly, I picked up a book entitled "Shinto" because I wanted to know about Shinto, not about economics or the similarities between Shinto and Jungian thought.
I've noticed that a lot of books about ancient or indigenous religions treat their subject matter less as something that's interesting and worthwhile in and of itself and more as something whose main value is its potential to patch social problems in Western society. Am I the only one who finds that kind of offensive? There wasn't a lot here about Shinto in Japan, or about how it's changed the lives of Western converts; instead, the focus was on the ways in which Rankin believes Shinto would fix Western culture.
August 24, 2024
This book struggles between trying to be equal parts academic text, introductory guide, and manifesto. I wish it picked one and stuck to it, and it should have been the manifesto. The first half is incredibly dry but informative, while the second half is impassioned but borderline fetishizing to the extent that I struggled to take it seriously.
The author makes several sweeping claims and generalizations, including about several cultures that he is not a part of, and cites very little for very few of these. His main source for this text is a Frenchman's work from the 60s, which I find perplexing as there are multiple English-language Japanese scholarly texts from the 80s and 90s that discuss Japanese (folk) religion, both history and societal consequences, which I feel would have argued his point much better than his own musings.
The author's main argument is that Shinto's philosophy (that humans are only part of the whole world and yet are inherently valuable and good as individuals) is the cure for western capitalistic greed. I don't disagree that recognizing the collective aspect of humanity as well as our role within the ecosystem rather than outside of it is an extremely important aspect for social change. However, there's a clear disconnect in this argument, because he does not address the many ways that this could manifest in contemporary western culture, and has manifested in cultures past.
This work has so much potential, and I have SEVERAL more thoughts about it, especially regarding tone and audience. This topic and argument deserved to be more thoroughly researched and more thoroughly drafted.
The author makes several sweeping claims and generalizations, including about several cultures that he is not a part of, and cites very little for very few of these. His main source for this text is a Frenchman's work from the 60s, which I find perplexing as there are multiple English-language Japanese scholarly texts from the 80s and 90s that discuss Japanese (folk) religion, both history and societal consequences, which I feel would have argued his point much better than his own musings.
The author's main argument is that Shinto's philosophy (that humans are only part of the whole world and yet are inherently valuable and good as individuals) is the cure for western capitalistic greed. I don't disagree that recognizing the collective aspect of humanity as well as our role within the ecosystem rather than outside of it is an extremely important aspect for social change. However, there's a clear disconnect in this argument, because he does not address the many ways that this could manifest in contemporary western culture, and has manifested in cultures past.
This work has so much potential, and I have SEVERAL more thoughts about it, especially regarding tone and audience. This topic and argument deserved to be more thoroughly researched and more thoroughly drafted.
April 7, 2021
i'm pretty sure this book was someone's PHD thesis that was turned into a book. it reads exactly like a thesis and definitely has a point its trying to argue. in this case the point being that, despite how a-political the author strives to be, a spiritually driven green socialist revolution is probably the only thing that will save the planet from the ravages of capitalism and the devouring nihilistic west. the dude isn't incorrect! it's also an introduction to shintoist thought and goes through all the basics in an understandable, if dry, manner. it took me a long time to read this book because of its afore mentioned academic tone but i am really glad i put the effort in. shinto hasn't really penetrated the west in the way buddhism has and it's hard to find clear information about its religious beliefs. i personally found it not only illuminated a lot of japanese culture for me, which i had always been curious about, but also deeply connected with me on a number of levels. there was so much in shinto that aligned with spiritual ideas i have but have never expressed. shinto has a flexibility to it that has no interest in shutting out or disproving other spiritual beliefs so i found that it supported the aspects of my own spiritual explorations that buddhism does not quite connect with. i would really love to get deeper into shinto from here and agree with the author that many of its tenants could provide crucial understanding toward living in peace with the natural world and ourselves.
December 13, 2024
This book takes on several themes at once: an intro to several Shinto concepts (such as musubi, kannagara, and Kami), critiquing Western materialism, and promoting a more spiritual, yet scientific approach to the environment. The beginning resembles a guide for beginners, but as the text progresses it starts to shift more towards critique.
From the description, I thought this book would be an entry point for absolute newcomers to the subject. It serves this purpose somewhat, but the last half started to go over my head a bit because it was connecting newly introduced concepts to the sociological and ecological sphere - something I’m too fresh to Shinto to properly appreciate.
While I agree with much of the critique and ideas put forth, I had difficulty connecting it with Shinto. For the absolute novice to Shinto, I would recommend getting a little familiar with the subject via other sources before reading this book. Doing that will allow the reader to connect ideas and themes easier.
Overall, this book is a thought-provoking read. I don’t feel as though I have the knowledge yet to fully embrace the ideas presented, however. For those with a foundation in Shinto, it makes for a new way of exploring the subject.
From the description, I thought this book would be an entry point for absolute newcomers to the subject. It serves this purpose somewhat, but the last half started to go over my head a bit because it was connecting newly introduced concepts to the sociological and ecological sphere - something I’m too fresh to Shinto to properly appreciate.
While I agree with much of the critique and ideas put forth, I had difficulty connecting it with Shinto. For the absolute novice to Shinto, I would recommend getting a little familiar with the subject via other sources before reading this book. Doing that will allow the reader to connect ideas and themes easier.
Overall, this book is a thought-provoking read. I don’t feel as though I have the knowledge yet to fully embrace the ideas presented, however. For those with a foundation in Shinto, it makes for a new way of exploring the subject.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews