The Practice of Altruism: Caring and Religion in Global PerspectiveCambridge Scholars Press, 2006 - 209 pages The study of altruism and altruistic behavior has caught the attention of social scientists especially in recent years. What motivates individuals to cultivate attitudes and actions that promote the wellbeing of others at the expense of, or at the risk of negative consequences for their own? In our contemporary global society marked by conflict and violence among different sectors of the population in various regions of the world, and wherein religion can be a factor that exacerbates such conflict and violence, harnessing the power of religion towards directions of reconciliation, creativity, and altruistic action, remains a crucial task for humankind. This volume addresses a question especially relevant in our day: do people who profess religious commitment or affiliation in a particular religious community tend to nurture altruistic kinds of attitude and action more than others? Social scientists present results of their empirical studies on Japanese society, as well as on North American, European, Indian, and Thai societies, to focus on this issue and offer insightful reflections on the relationship between religion and society. |
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... activities of this religious organization were characterized by physical or material salvation ( kyusai ) by means of social - welfare activities and spiritual salvation ( kanka ) through preaching of the Lotus Sutra , the basic ...
... activities by Buddhist organizations . Until the early 1970s , Japanese Buddhist groups involved in international activities were few in numbers and their activities were limited to neighbouring Asian countries . It was the involvement ...
... activities , such as operating mobile and permanent libraries , sending picture books for children , and printing books . Initially its activities were in the refugee camps of Thailand , but after the closure of these camps in 1992 it ...
Contents
Altruism in New Religions in Japan | 12 |
Kamagasaki Ecumenical Network | 43 |
Japanese Buddhist Responses to Terrorism | 60 |
Copyright | |
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Other editions - View all
The Practice of Altruism: Caring and Religion in Global Perspective Ruben Lf Habito,Keishin Inaba No preview available - 2008 |