Japanese Saints: Mormons in the Land of the Rising Sun Rating :
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
Great book!
By JB
This book provides prescient insight into the negotiation of religious identity among Japanese Mormons. The volume features moving stories and engaging personal accounts of religious transformation and its aftermath collected principally through interviews with Japanese Latter-day Saints. The narratives featured here illustrate the triumphs and travails of Japanese converts to the LDS faith, whose religious identities are negotiated at the intersection of Mormon and Japanese culture. Although the social scientific theories and methods in this book are masterfully employed, interviewees' accounts and experiences--often described at length in converts' own words--are the centerpiece of the volume. This book will appeal to academics in the social scientific study of religion and religious studies scholars. However, it is also a great read for non-academics interested in religion abroad and the ongoing transformation of LDS culture in a non-US context. And, don't make the mistake of thinking a BYU professor would produce an apologia for Mormonism abroad, because the treatment of the subject in this book is even-handed. The author explores the full range of Japanese Mormons' experiences with respect and balance. Highly recommended!
Product Description
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly known as the Mormon Church, is quickly becoming a global religion with more than 12 million members worldwide. In Japan, the number of official members has more than doubled since 1980. Yet this impressive growth has not been accompanied by research on Japanese Mormons. What attracts Japanese people, most of whom have little experience with Christianity, to an American faith? How are their lives as Japanese people affected by the Mormon Church? Based on research in a small congregation in northern Japan and in-depth interviews with foreign missionaries, Japanese Saints is the first book to provide an in-depth, qualitative examination of what it is like to be a Japanese Mormon. Hoffmann pays particular attention to how members joined the LDS Church, how it has affected relationships with family and friends, and what membership in the Church entails.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #3879516 in Books
- Published on: 2007-02-09
- Original language:English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.93" h x6.16" w x.94" l,1.05 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 244 pages
No comments :
Post a Comment