Paths to the Buddhist priesthood: A qualitative study of Kōyasan priests

Factors that currently lead Japanese men to enter and remain in the Buddhist priesthood are poorly understood. This article reports the results of a qualitative study that examines the profiles of a seminary instructor and six Shingon Buddhist priests (真言) at Kōyasan guesthouse temples (高野山). The da...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSocial compass Vol. 70; no. 2; pp. 263 - 282
Main Authors Mueller, Charles, Nagashima, Miori
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London, England SAGE Publications 01.06.2023
Sage Publications Ltd
Subjects
Clergy
Ego
Families & family life
Identity
Religious doctrines
Self concept
Temples
bouddhisme japonais
Shingon
prêtrise
Japanese Buddhism
priesthood
Buddhist
Bouddhiste
Kōyasan
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Summary:Factors that currently lead Japanese men to enter and remain in the Buddhist priesthood are poorly understood. This article reports the results of a qualitative study that examines the profiles of a seminary instructor and six Shingon Buddhist priests (真言) at Kōyasan guesthouse temples (高野山). The data, collected from semi-structured interviews, were analyzed with ATLAS.ti using a thematic analysis approach. The study identified seven key themes related to (1) family, (2) mentoring relationships, (3) education, (4) labor, (5) spiritual practices, (6) religious doctrines and faith, and (7) the devotion of guests. For the six priests, family connections were found to play an especially critical role in initial decisions to enter the priesthood, whereas other factors chiefly contributed to sustained commitment. The results are discussed in terms of theories of ‘costly signalling’, ego-identity statuses, and the Japanese tendency to construct personal identity within the context of social affiliations.
ISSN:0037-7686
1461-7404
DOI:10.1177/00377686231162532