Western Esotericism, the Cultic Milieu, and Lived Religion: Problems and Possibilities of “Other-than-Religion” Concepts

This introduction locates the arguments developed by the articles in this special issue within the research interests of Professor Yoshinaga Shin’ichi to whom the original conference panel that this special issue is based upon was dedicated. We note the complications arising out of transposing “other-than religion” concepts such as “esotericism” or “occultism” in the Japanese context. We then extend the argument to more general issues associated with religious studies categories that have been built in contrast with, or that qualify, the kind of religion in question. We then offer examples of two concepts, “new religions” and “spirituality,” which present similar challenges because they have implicitly or explicitly been constructed against normative understandings of “religion.” We conclude that the three papers included in this special issue show that by paying attention to the way in which the people involved in the “para/extra/supra-religious” fields explain their engagement with their practices and ideas, we can reveal the limitations and also the possibilities of “other-than religion” concepts.