Final Paper Topics

A number of theorists of Japanese culture insist that Japan has a novel conception of sacred space.  Is this true?  Compare and contrast your observations with those of some of the cultural commentators, making specific references to works of art.  You might want to explore differences with sacred spaces in other religious traditions.

 

Sacred images play an essential role in the Japanese religious experience.  Discuss one group of sacred images and explore how they work within the Japanese religious and artistic tradition. 

 

Conceptions of the sacred are frequently mediated by the personal needs of patrons. Pick one influential religious patron in Japanese history and show how they used art and religion to promote a particular agenda.

 

Handscrolls that focus on a religious theme often share a similar basic vocabulary to promote their message whether it be the miraculous career of an eminent monk, the transformative powers of a particular image or the legendary history of a temple.  Using two or ore handscrolls demonstrate how this process works.

 

Religious ritual is dependent on a proper setting and proper practice.  Discuss the role of the celebrant and the adornments of rituals spaces in ensuring that rituals are conducted efficaciously.

 

The introduction of Zen (Chan) Buddhism to Japan transformed the material culture of much of Japanese religion.  Some theorists argue that the arts related to the Zen sect are wholly secular in their orientation, while others relate those arts to religious practice. Discuss the relationship between Zen Practice and its cultural artifacts.

 

The Japanese still visit shrines on New Year=s Day and hold funerals at Buddhist temples, yet for much of the time they seem oblivious of the two major religious traditions in Japan.  Nevertheless contemporary architects continue to design temples and other artists still make work with religious themes.  Comment on their work and explore how new sacred images and sacred spaces function in contemporary Japan.