Religion and Social Crisis in Japan Understanding Japanese Society through the Aum Affair

At the time Aum Shinrikyotilde; emerged, most Japanese assumed that they lived in one of the most well-ordered of societies, a model that had much to offer the chaotic Western world. This assumption was shaken on March 20, 1995 when the deadly nerve gas sarin was released on the Tokyo subway system. Since that incident, the "Aum Affai" has had widespread repercussions and shaken the Japanese psyche in a serious way. This volume provides a window onto contemporary Japanese society by considering the various reactions and responses to this crisis precipitated by this deviant religious movement.

Robert J. Kisala is Associate Professor and Permanent Fellow at the Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture, Nanzan University, Japan.

Mark R. Mullins is Professor of the Sociology of Religion and Christian Studies in the Faculty of Sociology, Meiji Gakuin University, Japan.