Osprey Special Editions (Military) : The Samurai and the Sacred

The fierce loyalty and selfsacrificing attitude of the Samurai have made them both a legend and a cult. Yet although their military prowess and skills in the martial arts have been studied exhaustively, an understanding of their belief system still eludes many. This original and exciting work examines the spiritual world of the samurai, from their attachment to Japan's mainstream religions of Shinto and Buddhism, to their involvement in Confucianism, Christianity and Folk Religion. Samurai expert Stephen Turnbull examines important topics such as Zen and the martial arts, modern militarism, the cult of the sword, revenge and suicide, hara kiri and the kamikaze pilots, the suicide bombers of their day. He also looks at the issue of Japanese religious terrorism, as well as the growing cult status of the Samurai both in Japan and in the West. Text by Stephen Turnbull.

Contents

• Introduction : Religion in Samurai History
• The Two Faces of Shinto
• Buddhism in Samurai History
• Religion Goes to War
• Beyond Belief
• Onward Christian Samurai!
• Religion and Social Control under the Tokugawa
• Zen : The Religion of the Samurai?
• Bushido : The Soul of the Samurai?
• Heaven, Hell and Hara-Kiri
• Cults, Crazes and Poison Gas