Japan's monastic warriors have fared poorly in comparison to the samurai, both in terms of historical reputation and representations in popular culture. Often maligned and criticized for their involvement in politics and other secular matters, they have been seen as figures seperate from the larger military class, but this study shows that actually these "monk warriors" (sohei) were in reality inseperable from the warrior class. "Adolphson has presented the first cogent explanation of the role of violence in Japanese monasteries, interrogating the muCh-misunderstood role of the so-called warrior monks. Based on a wide and deep knowledge of primary sources, Adolphson has both advanced the scholarly understanding of the broader configurations of the samurai and has also done a fine job of dispelling many myths that persist in Japanese and Western popular culture. This is our first true picture of the various types of men who wielded arms on behalf of religious institutions - few of whom were actually monks." G.Cameron Hurst. "This is, in many ways, the best book we are likely to have on violence and its political and social origins among he early medieval Buddhist/Shinto clergy for quite some time. Comprehensive, lucid, and authoritative, it examines the interconnections among the members of Japan's ruling trifunctional elite in a way that contributes rch insights into the very nature of Heian and Kamakura society. This study is long overdue and establishes Adolphson as one of a handful of scholars who have dealt with religious protests and violence in an intelligent and captivating way." Wayne Farris.
