Jewel in the Ashes: Buddha Relics and Power in Early Medieval Japan

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Binding: Hardcover Dewey Decimal Number: 294.363 EAN: 9780674002456 ISBN: 0674002458 Label: Harvard University Asia Center Manufacturer: Harvard University Asia Center Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 420 Publication Date: 2000-07-01 Publisher: Harvard University Asia Center Studio: Harvard University Asia Center
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Editorial Reviews: This study addresses the relationship between the veneration of Buddha relics and the appropriation of power in early medieval Japan. Focusing on the ninth to fourteenth centuries, it analyzes the ways in which relics functioned as material media for the interactions of Buddhist clerics, the imperial family, lay aristocrats, and warrior society and explores the multivocality of relics by dealing with specific historical examples. Brian Ruppert argues that relics offered means for reinforcing or subverting heirarchical relations. The author's critical literary and anthropological analyses attest to the prominence of relic veneration in government, in lay practice associated with the maintenance of the imperial line and warrior houses, and in the promotion of specific Buddhist sects in Japan.
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: A great work Comment: I am not a historian, hence my review may be rather subjective. While this book would in general only be of interest to people involved in research of Japanese history, I read it for a class assignement and found it very enjoyable. Understanding of this book requires some basic knowlege of Japanese history. Given that, the book is very easy to read. Ruppert does a great job covering a multitude of aspects of Japanese society in which relic veneration had a role, while not "dragging out" discussion of any particular topic.I would definitelly recommend this book to anyone who in has an interest in the role of buddhism in medieval Japan. More Reviews