In the Presence of Gods and Spirits
Hirata Atsutane and His Collaborators
The legacy of Hirata Atsutane’s study of the Way of the Gods
Description
In the Presence of Gods and Spirits brings to life the early nineteenth-century Japanese religious leader and scholar Hirata Atsutane, whose fear of Russian incursion onto Japan’s soil led him to redefine what it means to be Japanese. Atsutane advocated the study of the Way of the Gods, commonly known as Shinto, to explain what happens to the soul after death and to cultivate a Japanese identity centered on gods, spirits, and the emperor. His teachings would later attract thousands of followers and feed the movements that led to the Meiji Restoration. Drawing on the concept of material religion, Walthall demonstrates how Atsutane and his collaborators sought out knowledge of the unseen world and educated others, while seeking to bring themselves closer to the gods and spirits. This work showcases Atsutane and his community’s legacy, which has had a profound influence on Japanese society, religious belief, and culture far beyond his lifetime.
Anne Walthall is Professor Emerita of Japanese History at the University of California Irvine. She previously coedited Women and Class in Japanese History (1999) and Women and Networks in Nineteenth-Century Japan (2020) with the University of Michigan Press.
Reviews
“In the Presence of Gods and Spirits in an excellent study of Hirata Atsutane and his school, emphasizing Atsutane’s lifelong efforts to understand and valorize a world of gods and spirits that he believed was accessible to living human beings through a variety of material objects and dreams. This study is entirely original in its multidisciplinary approach and use of new sources.”
- Helen Hardacre, Harvard University
“This is the first English-language account of the Hirata school that fully takes into account the recent Japanese research based on the newly disclosed Hirata archive. This helps us to contextualize Atsutane’s writings in a much more concrete manner, while shedding light on the running of his school and its extensive network.”
- Mark Teeuwen, University of Oslo
“This elegant and erudite volume scrutinizes how scholar Hirata Atsutane and his successors communicated ideas about the unseen world to a wide audience across the nineteenth century. Walthall introduces fascinating new sources and explains Atsutane’s beliefs on their own terms while retaining a sharp analytical eye. In the Presence of Gods and Spirits reminds readers of the strangeness of the past and transforms how we understand both Atsutane’s legacy and Japan’s modern transformation.”
- Marnie Anderson, Smith College
“Walthall's new study of the life and work of the 19th-century nativist (kokugaku) scholar Hirata Atsutane addresses a crucial gap in the English-language coverage of Japanese intellectual history. Walthall's book is a useful addition to any library that focuses on the evolution of the modern Japanese state and the formation of a collective vision concerning national identity.”
- M. Landeck, Choice