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. |
From inside the book
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... major role in cultural integration or moral order . However , no serious conflicts seem to have been found between their charitable activities and society . One possibility would be to assume that the impact of their activities on ...
... major Buddhist organizations that have emerged from this movement are Hōonji and Daijō - kyō . Hōonji , founded by Suzuki Shūgaku , a disciple of Sugiyama , is a temple of Nichren sect , and is continuing its predecessor's legacy of ...
... major international voluntary activities are building shelters for Indo- chinese refugees in Japan , sponsoring the ' campaign for sharing blankets with people in Africa ' ( which entails sending blankets to drought - stricken African ...
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 |