The Shinto Cult: A Christian Study of the Ancient Religion of Japan

Terry, Milton Spenser, 1840-1914Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 2.9

Word count: 113K words
Chapters: 12

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Shinto Cult: A Christian Study of the Ancient Religion of Japan by TerryAuthor: Terry, Milton Spenser, 1840-1914,Language: English, Class: BL: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Religion: General, Miscellaneous and Atheism, Release Date: May 20, 2013

Editor's review

This book is a thematic study of Japanese Shinto by the late nineteenth- to early twentieth-century American scholar Milton Spencer Terry, examining it from a Christian perspective; it is a relatively rare systematic text among early Western religious studies works. Its value lies not in offering a today's scholarly consensus introduction to Shinto, but in presenting a cross-religious observational framework of a particular era: the author both surveys Shinto rituals, myths, and shrine institutions and consistently brings a Christian apologist's comparative and evaluative eye. Readers can see how the Western missionary scholarly tradition understood non-Christian beliefs and can also reflect on the question of standpoint in comparative religion. The Project Gutenberg edition is an English public-domain e-book, suitable as auxiliary material for the history of religious studies, Japanese studies, and cross-cultural hermeneutics rather than as a first choice for an introduction to Shinto. When reading, place it within the colonial-era religious studies context and distinguish factual description from the author's evaluation.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Scholars studying modern Western religious studies history and the missionary sinological tradition
Japan researchers interested in the early Western reception history of Shinto
University teachers and students who need English primary sources as course material for cross-cultural religious comparison
Readers interested in nineteenth-century Christian apologetic comparative writing on religion

Not a good fit for

General readers seeking objective, contemporary introductory knowledge of Shinto
Believers or practitioners who do not accept a Christian apologetic stance and expect neutral description
Beginners who struggle with English reading and need a Chinese translation

Reading tips

Read the introduction and conclusion first to grasp the author's Christian comparative framework, then move to specific chapters.
While reading, mark the author's descriptive statements and evaluative judgments separately and organize them.
Read alongside a modern general work on Shinto to correct period biases and terminological differences.
Take notes by theme—rituals, myths, shrine institutions—for easier comparison with contemporary research.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book an introductory reading on Shinto?

No. It is a study written by an American scholar from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century from a Christian standpoint, with clear apologetic and comparative intentions. It is better suited as material for the history of scholarship and reception than as a modern introduction to Shinto doctrine and ritual.

Does the author's basic stance affect the reliability of the material?

It does. The author's descriptions of Shinto are often intertwined with Christian judgments, and factual statements must be distinguished from evaluative judgments. Readers should place the book's material in its historical context and check it against modern neutral research; it should not be cited directly as an objective introduction.

What are the features of using the Project Gutenberg edition?

This edition is an English public-domain e-book, freely available and convenient for searching and citation, but it has no modern translation notes or scholarly introduction. It suits readers who can read English originals and are willing to supplement background information themselves; before reading, it is best to understand basic religious studies terminology.

For what courses or settings is it suitable?

It is suitable as selected primary-source reading for courses on the history of religious studies, Japanese studies history, and cross-cultural hermeneutics, and also for reading groups discussing "how the West viewed the religions of others." It is not recommended as the sole material for a lecture series introducing Shinto knowledge.

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About the author

Terry, Milton Spenser, 1840-1914 Author

Terry, Milton Spenser (1840–1914) was an author known for his work in comparative religion; public sources offer limited information about his life, and his nationality, education, and specific positions cannot be reliably established. One work by him is held in the collection, The Shinto Cult: A Christian Study of the Ancient Religion of Japan. Judging from its title and subject, the book examines the ancient beliefs, rituals, and ideas of Japanese Shinto from the perspective of a Christian researcher. It belongs to the type of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Western scholarship that systematically compared and assessed non-Christian religions. Such writing typically combines doctrinal analysis with documentary review, carries an apologetic tone, and offers English-speaking readers a window into Shinto. Given the limited sources, his style and scholarly influence can only be sketched from this single work and await further documentation.