Engendering Faith

Engendering Faith is a monumental and pioneering study on women and Buddhism. It clarifies distinctions necessary for a proper understanding of just what was understood by "nun" in early Japanese history and offers a great deal of information, knowledge, and ideas that are of critical importance to understanding Buddhist history as it relates to women (and men), and to understanding premodern Japanese culture in general.

 

The lengthy front matter and twenty chapters open a sorely neglected area of Japanese cultural history by bringing new research on women and Buddhism to the English-reading audience of scholars not only in Japan-related fields but also in religious history, comparative religion, and women's studies. Richly illustrated and with a comprehensive list of characters, Engendering Faith is must reading for anyone interested in premodern Japanese history, culture, and religion.

 

Barbara Ruch is Professor Emerita of Japanese Literature and Culture at Columbia University and Director of the Institute for Medieval Japanese Studies