The Cult of Kasuga Seen Through Its Art

Volume 8

Susan C. Tyler

A detailed and animating study of the syncretic cult of Kasuga Shrine at its height in the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries

Description

Series

Michigan Monograph Series in Japanese Studies

The Cult of Kasuga Seen Through Its Art is a study of the syncretic cult of Kasuga Shrine at its height in the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries. It examines the relationships of the Buddhist and Shinto gods of the shrine and explains the soteriological function of their presence at Kasuga. Using visual art as well as stories and documents, it brings to life a medieval shrine cult and defines its contribution to Japanese religion.

"A fascinating book offering a rich store of historical and cultural information about aristocratic religious practices in medieval Japan."

—Patricia Yamada, Chanoyu Quarterly

"A handsome and welcome book. It is well researched, well conceived, and well presented . . . a valuable comment on and contribution to our changing and deepening understanding of medieval Japanese religion."

—Richard B. Pilgrim, Monumenta Nipponica

"This is not a narrowly focused art-historical treatise but a broad-ranging study of the art and culture of one of the great religious institutions of Japan. Students of medieval Japanese history, literature, and religion-as well as art historians-will all benefit from this book."

—Martin Collcutt, Princeton University

“An excellent study of a very important topic. The cult of Kasuga is a major phenomenon in Japanese religious history, and until recently there has been virtually nothing in western languages on it outside of the occasional scattered reference. One of the strengths of this work is its thoroughly comprehensible discussion of honji-suijaku theory; it is definitely state-of-the-art.”
—Helen Hardacre, Griffith University

Susan Tyler completed her doctoral program at the University of Oslo.