globalization; relativization; Risshō Kōseikai; glocalization; social systems
摘要
Based on several streams of globalization theory and the author’s previous work, this article proposes a multidimensional approach to the study of Risshō Kōseikai under globalization. The analysis shows that this Buddhism-based new religious movement is involved in global dynamics in various guises. Not only does Risshō Kōseikai contribute to global culture through its presence on the Internet, international cooperation, and other activities, but it also acts as a glocalizer by creating new religious hybrid forms at the local level, as is evident in the recent institutional interest in the environmental crisis. There are also indications that these processes, which per se denote a positive engagement with globalization, may be entangled with the defense of particularism. Reactions to the increasing global availability of religious communication and the relativization of religious values are also explored, which indicate the official endorsement of pluralism and an underlying tendency toward inclusivism. At the systemic level, Risshō Kōseikai (as part of the global religious subsystem) is shown to be engaged in border negotiations with dominant global subsystems such as politics and science, and in addressing residual problems left unsolved by these subsystems in an attempt to find legitimation for religion in global society.
