Schism, orthodoxy and heresy in the history of Tenrikyō : three case studies

Abstract

The Japanese ’new religion’ Tenrikyo, founded by Nakayama Miki (1798-1887) in the late Tokugawa era, is arguably the largest of the thirteen Kyoha Shinto (’Sect Shinto’) groups that trace their institutional origins to the Meiji period. Under the joint leadership of Iburi Izo (1833-1907) and Miki’s grandson Nakayama Shinnosuke (1866-1914), Tenrikyo grew from a sparse collection of ko (religious confraternities) into a vast institutional network of branch churches within ten years of Miki’s death due to the aggressive propagation efforts of its first generation missionaries. This thesis surveys the historical, sociological and ideological contexts that surrounded the emergence of three schisms--Tenrin-O-Kyokai, Daidokyo, and Honmichi--which occurred at three separate stages within Tenrikyo’s transition from a small rural movement into a nationwide phenomenon. Despite the differences in the historical backdrops of these three schisms, themes of sacred space and charismatic authority were central issues in the emergence of each.