INABA Keishin, Altruism And Religion.pdf

Inaba Keishin's book "Ritashugi to Shūkyō" explores whether religion can nurture altruism in a highly materialistic modern world. The author draws inspiration from the response of Japanese religious organizations to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, where many groups provided relief activities. Inaba defines altruism as actions carried out for the benefit of others, not oneself, and argues that religion can motivate people to engage in altruistic actions, generating social capital for the common good. He uses ethnographic data from his study of two new religious organizations in England to highlight factors that motivate religious people to work for others, such as community living, socialization, and role models. However, the book's reliance on non-Japanese data may limit its applicability to the Japanese context, where new religious movements emphasize layism and familial relations. The author suggests that indigenous cultural values and spirituality, rather than conscious faith, may inspire altruism in Japanese people. Further research is needed to identify the religious roots of altruism in Japan and to distinguish faith-based altruism from humanism-inspired altruism.