Buddhist shrines: bringing sacred context and shared memory into the home. Issue 2 (4th May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Thanissaro, Phra Nicholas
• Is Part Of: Journal of contemporary religion. Volume 33:Issue 2(2018)
• Page Start: 319
• Page End: 335
• Publication Date: 2018-05-04
• Subjects: Shrines -- Buddhist -- nurture -- teenagers -- religiosity -- identity; Religions -- Periodicals; Religions -- History -- 20th century -- Periodicals; 200
• DOI: 10.1080/13537903.2018.1469277
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1353-7903

Abstract

Abstract: Previous research has recognized shrines in homes as sites of shared cultural memory with the function of contextualising religious narratives and bringing the sacred into the home. For Buddhists, shrines occupy a grey area between the cultural and the religious and have not been widely considered as indicators of religiosity. A quantitative study of 417 British teenagers self-identifying as Buddhists found that the 70% who had a home shrine were less likely to visit a Buddhist temple, but more likely to exhibit daily personal religious practice and to bow to parents. The attitude profile of those with shrines showed that these teenagers were generally happier at school, more collectivist, polarised regarding their identities, and strict about intoxicants. Heightened affective religiosity was linked with having a home shrine, particularly for female, late-teen, and heritage Buddhists. The article argues that, for these groups of Buddhists, a shrine represents a locus for shared memory, especially accessible to those of Sensing Psychological Types, but, for males, early teens, and converts, there is more a sense of shrines giving context to their Buddhist narratives.