The 6^th Annual Conference of East Asian Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (EASSSR)

Reitaku University, Japan (Onsite)

July 6^th to 8^th, 2024

Religion and Morality in The Global East

 

CALL FOR PAPER

 

In East Asian cultures, morality, meaning the right course of action, tends to emphasize an intrinsic spirituality/religiosity that goes beyond the external mores, manners, or rules commonly found in Western societies. Bushido in Japan, as well as Tai Chi in China, are directed toward the cultivation of something greater than mere skill in martial arts, something that transcends human knowledge and reaches towards the sacred, the Chi, and even the divine. In East Asian religious cultures, morality is often imbued with religiosity.
The dichotomy between religion and morality originated in the Christian cultural sphere, where Western modernization occurred. The separation of church and state in modern nation-states established a dichotomy between religion and morality, which permeated East Asia along with the construction of nation-states. The Chinese words 宗教 (shukyo) and 道徳 (dotoku) became established as translations of Western words “religion,” “morality,” or “ethic(s)” Since the concepts of “all religions return to one another” or “all religions share the same root” are latent in these translated words, the Western concept of “religion and morality” in East Asia is limited in its analysis of multiple religious affiliations and syncretistic religions, which are self-evident in East Asia. When dealing with “religion and morality” in East Asia, it is necessary to question the Western concept itself.
The undifferentiation of religion and morality provided an opportunity to create a “national morality（国民道徳）” in Japan after the Meiji period, from the late 19th to the early 20th century, based on state Shintoism, although it proclaimed the separation of church and state. On the other hand, it also produced a “culture of cultivation（修養）” that was neither religious nor moral in Western sense, following the trend of the Hotoku movement（報徳運動）and Shingaku （心学）at the folk level that has continued since the Edo period, and has been organized after the mid-Meiji period and carried over to the present day. It was a Shuyodantai (修養団体: self-cultivation organization), a moral movement that emphasized faith. This philosophy overlaps in some respects with the founding principles of Reitaku University, the host of this conference.
The name of the university, Reitaku （麗澤）, is derived from the Confucian Book of I Ching（易経）. The founder, Chikuro Hiroike (Doctor of Laws, 1866-1938), believed that the establishment of universal morality beyond religion and ethnicity was essential to realizing security, peace and happiness for mankind, and published A Treatise on Moral Science (10 vols. 1928), with the aim of founding a “new science, moralogy,” through interdisciplinary research utilizing the various sciences of the time on the ideas of sages in the East and West since the dawn of history. The university was then opened in 1935 with this new science as its founding principle.
By viewing the relationship between religion and morality in East Asia in the context of contemporary society, we hope to advance new fields of social scientific study of religion, analytical concepts and methods, and to provide an opportunity for the emergence of a paradigm that transcends the dichotomy between religion and morality.
Therefore, we invite participants of the conference to reexamine the theme together: Religion and Morality in the Global East. Any proposals aiming to examine the following sub-themes are highly welcome:

Therefore, we invite participants of the conference to reexamine the theme together: Religion and Morality in the Global East. Any proposals aiming to examine the following sub-themes are highly welcome:

1. (Re-)Defining religion and morality
2. The Genealogy of Religion and Morality
3. Theory Building on religion and morality in global East Asia
4. Comparative study of religion and/or morality in different cultures
5. Comparative quantitative study of religiosity and/or morality
6. Religious policy and morality
7. Religious and/or moral socialization in companies, schools and the family
8. Indigenization of religion and/or morality
9. Social issues and Religion
   e.g. LGBTQ, Abortion, Gender, Migration, Identity, Environnement, AI.

 

Keynote Speaker

Prof. Nobutaka Inoue (Professor Emeritus, Kokugakuin University)

 

Conference Venue

Venue: Reitaku University, Japan

Address: 1-1 , Hikarigaoka 2 chome, Kashiwa city, Chiba Prefecture, Japan

Official Website: https://www.reitaku-u.ac.jp/en/ (English)

Contact: ttajim17@moralogy.jp

** More detailed information on accommodation and transportation will be announced by our host before conference registration.

** The Executive Committee of EASSSR2024 is delighted to offer graduate students the most affordable on-campus accommodations.

 

Accommodation

Grand Park Hotel THE LUXUEUX (link)

Conveniently located next to Minami Kashiwa Station, surrounded by restaurants and shops.

Prices (per night, breakfast included)

• Single room: 7,700 JPY
• Double room: 13,200 JPY

Note: The above prices are Reitaku special rates. Room reservations will open when conference registration starts at the end of March.

Other Nearby Hotels

1. Toyoko-inn Hotel Kashiwa-eki Higashi-guchi (link)
2. Sotetsu Hotel (link)
3. Kashiwa Plaza Hotel (link)
4. Kashiwa Plaza Hotel Annex(link)
5. Toyoko-inn Hotel Kashiwa-eki Nishi-guchi(link)
6. Crest Hotel Kashiwa(link)

Special Offer for Graduate Students

Inexpensive accommodations on the university grounds are available for graduate student participants of 10 or fewer.

 

DEADLINES

• Paper presentation proposals are due by February 23, 2024.
  Please submit your paper’s title, abstract (300 to 500 words), and personal information by clicking here:
  Submit Abstract and Register for EASSSR 2024 Conference.
• Notification of acceptance of paper presentation proposals will be sent out by March 15, 2024. Then you can pay any fees on the EASSSR website.

 

Fees

EASSSR Membership Fee

• Regular Members: US$50 (one year) / $90 (two years) / $130 (three years)
• Student Members: US$30 (one year) / $50 (two years) / $70 (three years)

Conference Registration Fee:

• Regular Members: US$120 / Regular non-member US$170
  Student Members: US$70 / Student non-member US$100

 

Abstract Submission Form