The adaptation of Max Weber’s theories of religion in Japan

Abstract

try in many areas, and eagerly incorporated the theories of major Western thinkers such as Weber and Karl Marx. These two figures in particular-Weber and Marx-were studied as the two major theoretical pillars in rethinking the historical process of the development of Japanese capitalism. Uchida Yoshiaki was not exaggerating when he commented that there is no country where Weber's work has been read more widely, or where the theoretical study of his writings has been carried out with greater vigor, than in Japan (see UCHIDA 1990). In recent years, however, the study of Weber has declined and come to be viewed as somewhat outdated. Even in the field of the sociology of religion, Weber's theories are not being studied as vigorously as in the past. Instead, fieldwork, or empirical research, on contemporary New Religions seems all the rage among Japanese specialists in the sociology of religion. By observing the history of Weber's reception in Japan, we hope to clarify why the study of Weber has declined, and the significance of this trend. We thereby hope to clarify the state of