Shinto - The Way of Gods: Introduction to the traditional religion of Japan

by Vincent Miller

The Shinto faith fascinates and mystifies the entire world.
Shinto is Japanese for ‘The way of the Gods.’ Shinto represents Japanese religion and cult that has its origins in prehistoric times. Referred to as the ‘indigenous faith of the Japan’ - the belief occupies a significant position even in the technologically advanced modern Japanese society. Shinto has held sway over the religious, social, and political way of life in Japan for over two millennia and continues its reign over the minds of the Japanese even today.

The Kami Way in Shintoism is a personal faith in the objects of worship and a belief in noble and sacred spirits. Shinto followers believe that their emperor is a divine descendant who governs the land with the help of rituals done for the deities, or Kami. Shinto ritualism takes place in hundreds of shrines all across the country. These local rites performed at each of the community shrines mirror the emperor’s ceremonies. Shinto followers believe that these divine rituals help in aligning the supernatural, human, and the natural worlds harmoniously together to achieve prosperity.

This book is intended to give a basic, yet detailed view of the Shinto world for a beginner.
This book traces the path of Shinto starting from its ancient origins to its present day.

Get a copy now and begin your Shinto adventure today!

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Japan

136 pages, Paperback

Published September 5, 2018

Reviews

[Justin Redpath]

Good primer. Needs copyediting done properly.

[Osvaldo Vilomar]

I lost my previous review so this one will be different. Make sure to review the book under GoodReads. I went to review the book after I finished but the pop up got left behind when I switched screens. But, that could be set aside for now. This book is a good read. The book editing could use some work because you'll find errors in it, but the kind of content makes up for it. You'll learn about the early ideas of Shintoism and you'll also learn about how it begins. Much like any religion you'll see different subsets come from the parent set. And, the author talks about the different kind. The author is also big on Japanese terms. You'll find Japanese terms all through the book. So, if you're a linguist, you'll like this part. There are other good things about the book too. You'll learn about the different rituals that take place in seasons and across special events. Why is this celebrated? What is its significance? You'll learn about all this in the book. The most fundamental part of Shintoism is the idea of a kami(s). This idea is so important in this faith that you'll learn all about it. To me, Shintoism is close to the western belief that belong to the Native Americans. Read all this to find out how!

[Jon Hall]

Read this as research for The Four Hour Body.
Very informative and learnt loads about this religion, far beyond what I needed to enhance one chapter.
The extra section on Japanese etiquette at the end was also invaluable

[Sonny Davidson]

Not a bad introduction to Shinto for a beginner.

[Jon Brence]

Enjoyable

Quick read that encapsulates the high level concepts of Shintoism and its history in Japan. Appreciate this beginner friendly book!

[Nick Imrie]

A solid little book for beginners; basic facts, laid out sensibly.

Only fault: like so many kindle books it is clearly half-baked. The editors notes have somehow been incorporated into the text.

[Lump]

Basically an extended Wikipedia article

[Seth]

As an author, I got this book to help my understanding of a religion I’m not that familiar with. When I have characters, environments, and plot elements, I like to do my homework as much as possible.

[Wei]

Everyone is empowered to exhibit their kami. They just need to find the strength and courage to see it and use it to do good things for the univese...

[Lori Blaylock]

Easy to understand

Easy to read and easy to understand. There were several places where the editor’s notes were left in, and I spotted at least one factual mistake.

[Adam Foote]

good introduction to a completely unknown faith

This was a great into to a religion that I know so little about. It made my travels in japan so much more rewarding. Good read.