Shinto: A History

Hardacre, a professor of Japanese religions and society at Harvard, surveys the history of Shinto from ancient Japan to the present in this even-handed and detailed treatment of the topic. Few single-volume histories are this comprehensive; Hardacre covers the religion’s origins and sacred texts, its medieval artwork, and its modern manifestations, with carefully chosen (and delightful) images to add to the analysis. She also briefly evaluates several analytical frameworks, such as public vs. private and indigenous vs. foreign, that have been applied to Shinto and its development in the past, offering careful consideration of the validity and usefulness of each. Her conclusions are generally brief and more summary could have strengthened the work, which is primarily focused on historical explication and so can be daunting in its length and level of detail. Nonetheless, this will serve as a valuable primer for college classes, or for those simply interested in Shinto, and it will be sure to stand as the definitive factual treatment for years to come. (Dec.)