Description
Book SynopsisShugendo has been an object of fascination among scholars and the general public, yet its historical development remains an enigma. This book offers a provocative reexamination of the social, economic, and spiritual terrain from which this mountain religious system arose.
Trade ReviewA Path into the Mountains offers a new perspective and a novel approach on several long-standing controversial points in the history of Shugendō—all of which have an echo in the wider landscape of Japanese religions. It provides readers with a rich and many-faceted understanding of how religious traditions are solidly anchored in very human ground." —Carina Roth, University of Geneva
"Based on convincing arguments and stimulating ideas, Caleb Carter's book calls into question the perception of Shugendō as a folk religion that existed on all mountains at all times. Carter makes the case for Shugendō's spread by means of institutions and lineages and enlivens his discussion with thought-provoking comparisons between Shugendō and Shintō, which he then applies to Mount Togakushi." —Gaynor Sekimori, SOAS University of London
