East Asian Religion

An East Asian Religion is a religious belief system that is an East Asian belief system.

• Context:
  • It can (typically) encompass a variety of religious traditions that originated in East Asia, such as Shintoism, Confucianism, and Taoism.
  • It can include religious practices and philosophies that emphasize harmony, balance, and the interconnectedness of all things.
  • It can involve ancestor veneration, where honoring deceased family members is a significant aspect of religious practice.
  • It can incorporate elements of shamanism and spiritual healing, often seen in Korean Muism and Japanese Shinto practices.
  • It can emphasize the cultivation of virtue (de) and following the Tao (the way), central to many East Asian philosophies.
  • It can range from ancient practices and beliefs, such as those found in the Hundred Schools of Thought, to modern adaptations and syncretic movements.
  • It can involve the worship of various deities, spirits, and ancestors, reflecting a polytheistic or henotheistic outlook.
  • It can influence and be influenced by other religious and philosophical traditions, including elements of Mahayana Buddhism and Chinese folk religion.
  • It can shape cultural, social, and political aspects of East Asian societies, integrating religious beliefs with daily life and governance.
  • It can include modern religious movements that draw upon traditional beliefs while adapting to contemporary contexts, such as Weixinism and Yiguandao.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • Japanese Religions, such as:
    • Shintoism, which is the indigenous spirituality of Japan focusing on ritual practices and the worship of kami (spirits).
    • Tenrikyo, a new religious movement originating from Japan that emphasizes joy through charity and modest living.
    • Shingon Buddhism, a major school of Buddhism in Japan known for its esoteric practices and rituals.
    • Soka Gakkai, a Japanese new religious movement based on Nichiren Buddhism, emphasizing peace, culture, and education.
    • ...
  • Chinese Religions, such as:
    • Confucianism, a philosophical and ethical system based on the teachings of Confucius, emphasizing moral values and social harmony.
    • Taoism, a religious and philosophical tradition that advocates living in harmony with the Tao, emphasizing naturalness, simplicity, and spontaneity.
    • Chinese Buddhism, a form of Buddhism that has integrated with Chinese cultural and spiritual traditions, forming distinct practices and beliefs.
    • Yiguandao, a Chinese salvationist religion that seeks to unify all religions under one belief system.
    • Weixinism, a modern religious movement in Taiwan that integrates elements of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.
    • Chinese Folk Religion, a diverse set of practices and beliefs that include ancestor worship and the veneration of local deities.
    • Oomoto, a Japanese new religious movement that blends Shintoism with other spiritual and philosophical elements.
    • Seicho-No-Ie, a Japanese new religious movement that combines elements of Buddhism, Shintoism, and Christianity.
    • Falun Gong, a modern Chinese spiritual practice that combines meditation and qigong exercises with a moral philosophy.
    • ...
  • Korean Religions, such as:
    • Korean Muism, a traditional Korean religion involving shamanistic practices and ancestral worship.
    • Jeungsanism, a Korean new religious movement that combines elements of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Korean shamanism.
    • Cheondoism, a Korean religious movement that emerged from Korean shamanism and emphasizes the unity of heaven, earth, and humanity.
    • Won Buddhism, a modern religion in Korea that seeks to adapt Buddhist teachings to contemporary society.
    • Shincheonji, a controversial new religious movement in South Korea that claims to be the true interpretation of the Bible.
    • ...
  • Other East Asian Religions:
    • Ryukyuan Religion, indigenous religious practices of the Ryukyu Islands, which blend animism, ancestor worship, and Buddhism.
    • Vietnamese Caodaism, a syncretic religion in Vietnam that combines elements of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Christianity.
    • Hòa Hảo, a Vietnamese Buddhist sect that emphasizes simplicity, peasant virtues, and practices derived from Buddhism.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Abrahamic Religions, which include Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, focusing on monotheism and distinct from East Asian religious traditions.
  • Indian Religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, which originated in the Indian subcontinent and have different theological and philosophical foundations.
  • Secularism, which advocates for the separation of religion from civic affairs and government, emphasizing non-religious approaches to life and society.
  • Atheism, which rejects belief in deities and spiritual entities, contrasting with the often spiritually oriented East Asian religions.
  • ...
• See: Southeast Asia, Comparative Religion, Eastern Religions, Ancestor Veneration in China, Chinese Folk Religion, Confucianism, Taoism, Chinese Salvationist Religions, Yiguandao, Weixinism, Mahayana, Chinese Buddhism, Modern Paganism, Indigenous Beliefs, Breath, Soul, Life, Belief, Spirituality

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References

2024

• (Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asian_religions Retrieved:2024-7-8.
  • In the study of comparative religion, the East Asian religions or Taoic religions, form a subset of the Eastern religions. This group includes Chinese religion overall, which further includes ancestor veneration, Chinese folk religion, Confucianism, Taoism and popular salvationist organisations (such as Yiguandao and Weixinism), as well as elements drawn from Mahayana Buddhism that form the core of Chinese and East Asian Buddhism at large.The group also includes Japanese Shinto, Tenrikyo, and Korean Muism, all of which combine Shamanistic elements and indigenous ancestral worship with various influences from Chinese religions. Chinese salvationist religions have influenced the rise of Japanese new religions such Tenriism and Korean Jeungsanism; as these new religious movements draw upon indigenous traditions but are heavily influenced by Chinese philosophy and theology.All these religious traditions generally share core concepts of spirituality, divinity and world order, including Tao ('way') and Tian ('heaven').Early Chinese philosophies defined the Tao and advocated cultivating the de 'virtue', which arises from the knowledge of such Tao. Some ancient Chinese philosophical schools merged into traditions with different names or became extinct, such as Mohism and others belonging to the ancient Hundred Schools of Thought, which were largely subsumed into Taoism. East Asian religions include many theological stances, including polytheism, nontheism, henotheism, monotheism, pantheism, panentheism and agnosticism. The place of East Asian religions among major religious groups is comparable to the Abrahamic religions found across the classical world, and Indian religions across the Indian subcontinent, Tibetan plateau and Southeast Asia.

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