Tokugawa Religion: Cultural Roots of Modern Japan

Author: (American) Béla, translated by Wang Xiaoshan and Dai Rong
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-09-01
Features: This book is based on a doctoral dissertation that I submitted to the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations and the Department of Sociology at Harvard University in 1955. The research I conducted represents an extraordinary initiative—the first time Harvard awarded a joint degree from these two departments. This research work involved combining historical research methods derived from humanistic studies of East Asian civilization with theoretical research methods originating from sociology. I am grateful to the Social Science Research Council and the Harvard-Yenching Institute for their financial support, which enabled me to devote myself fully to this research and writing. It was Professor Serge Elisséeff's lectures on Japanese literature that first sparked my interest in the study of Xinxue①, and it was also with him that I first began to research the original texts of Xinxue. I would like to thank Professor Elisséeff and Edwin O. Reischauer for their great help in deepening my understanding of Japanese history and culture. My dissertation advisor was John Pelzel and Talcott Parsons, who provided me with immense assistance throughout. The former enriched me greatly with his profound knowledge of Japanese culture and society, while the latter outlined a theoretical framework that allowed me to develop my dissertation within it. Albert M. Craig read through the manuscript and incorporated several of his suggestions into the text. In the process of reviewing the Japanese-to-English translation, Professor Malonfu provided me with great help and was very enthusiastic in assisting me with the writing of the glossary and the biographical index at the end of the book. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to my wife for her various forms of assistance. She not only proofread the entire manuscript and printed part of it but also offered some substantive suggestions. She is my best critic and has always been the source of motivation that inspired me to complete this manuscript.