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
Results 1-3 of 22
... projects to support improvished rural families . As exemplified by Daijō - kyō , another emerging trend in the social welfare activities of Japanese Buddhism under the impact of modernization and globalization is the participation of ...
... projects that give their uprooted lives meaning . Here , philanthropy gives meaning and explanation for the unexplainable disjuncture of distance from cultural worlds , family , friends , and the familiar . The husbands of these women ...
... projects by the royal family . It was decided that at the graduation of national universities newly founded in rural areas at the time , royals would personally hand out graduation diplomas directly to all the graduates . The Sangha ...
Contents
Altruism in New Religions in Japan | 12 |
Kamagasaki Ecumenical Network | 43 |
Japanese Buddhist Responses to Terrorism | 60 |
Copyright | |
7 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
The Practice of Altruism: Caring and Religion in Global Perspective Ruben Lf Habito,Keishin Inaba No preview available - 2008 |