In the Presence of Gods and Spirits
Hirata Atsutane and His Collaborators
- Hardcover
288 pages
- Release Date
12 August 2025
Summary
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 o…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780472077571 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0472077570 |
| Author: | Anne Walthall |
| Publisher: | The University of Michigan Press |
| Imprint: | The University of Michigan Press |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 288 |
| Release Date: | 12 August 2025 |
| Weight: | 454g |
| Dimensions: | 229mm x 152mm |
| Series: | Michigan Monograph Series in Japanese Studies |
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Critics Review
“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, ChoiceAbout The Author
Anne Walthall
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).
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