[Essay] Considering Soka Faith Studies (Research Fellow Dr. Masaki Yamaoka)

Introduction

On April 1, 2019, Dr. Mikio Matsuoka established the Institute of Soka Faith Studies with the aim of exploring “Soka Faith Studies.” In this paper, I will first clarify the significance of the Institute of Soka Faith Studies and then, in order to further invigorate its activities, present my own understanding of what “Soka Faith Studies” entails.

Regarding the Institute of Soka Faith Studies, Dr. Mikio Matsuoka states on its official website that it is a research institution dedicated to exploring the “Faith Studies” of the Soka Gakkai, with the aim of achieving an “integration of faith and reason.” “Faith studies,” in this context, corresponds—within Christianity—to what is called Theology. Therefore, to put it simply and without fear of misunderstanding, “Soka Faith Studies” may be described as a “Soka Gakkai–based form of theology.”

The history of Theology is long, and its earliest forms may be found in the thought of ancient Greek philosophers prior to the birth of Jesus Christ. Since then, over the course of a long history, theology has served to articulate in philosophical terms the worldview and understanding of life embedded within the faith of Christianity. Particularly in Europe, theology has exerted such influence as to provide a spiritual foundation for Western civilization. This is reflected in the fact that faculties of theology were already established at some of the earliest European universities, such as University of Bologna, and have maintained a long-standing tradition. In Japan as well, Christian-affiliated universities such as Sophia University and Doshisha University have faculties of theology. This also attests to the recognition of theology as an academic discipline possessing philosophical value that contributes to the formation of students’ character.

By contrast, Religious Studies, which developed after the rise of modern science in the seventeenth century, is a type of empirical science, similar to Anthropology and Ethnology. It constructs theories through the collection of objective data obtained by fieldwork and their subsequent analysis.

Originally, scholars who were themselves situated within Christianity began investigating religions other than Christianity—particularly the unfamiliar religions of minority groups—and, in doing so, modern religious studies emerged as a discipline differentiated from Christian theology. Consequently, rather than engaging in a philosophical inquiry into faith as theology does, religious studies adopts a methodology that examines, from an external perspective, the observable phenomena manifested in religious believers and their societies.

As a result, Theology and Religious Studies have developed into entirely different fields of study. For example, in theology, the existence of God is always taken as a fundamental premise, and the worldview of believers is articulated on the basis of sacred texts such as the Bible. In contrast, religious studies attempts to examine the existence of “God” from a scientific perspective. Consequently, scholars of religious studies do not hesitate to deny the existence of God and tend to maintain a critical distance from faith.

To simplify the contrast, theology approaches religion from within (and thus tends to be affirmative), whereas religious studies approaches religion from without (and thus tends to be critical), representing two fundamentally opposed perspectives. From this standpoint, Soka Faith Studies may be understood as a form of “faith studies” that, like theology, examines religion from within.

Inevitably, “faith studies” are, in many cases, conducted by adherents of the religion in question. In contrast, Religious Studies requires that the researcher either have no personal faith in the religion under study or, even if they do, be able to maintain a critical distance and analyze it objectively.

The paradigm of modern science itself constitutes a particular value system; to regard it as absolute and to adopt it as the sole criterion for all judgment may be seen as a kind of belief—what might be called a “faith in science.” Attempting to analyze the inner reality of religious faith through the paradigm of scientific belief is akin to speakers of different languages trying to converse without an interpreter; it is only natural that such an approach cannot arrive at an accurate understanding.

Buddhist Studies today generally refers to modern Buddhist studies as a subfield of Religious Studies, which developed in the West. However, unlike the religions of so-called minority groups mentioned earlier, Buddhism possesses an enormous body of textual materials—sutras, monastic codes (vinaya), and treatises (śāstra). As a result, philological investigations into their formation and interpretation constitute a major component of contemporary Buddhist studies.

In both its aims and its methodology, this field can hardly be described as one that explores the inner reality of Buddhist faith. These textual traditions—sutras, vinaya, and treatises—have, in the modern age, come to resemble historical artifacts, much like temple architecture, as part of the spiritual heritage of the past. Within traditional Buddhism, where living faith has not been firmly rooted, a discipline equivalent to Christian theology—namely, a “Buddhist faith studies”—did not come into being.

However, today, within the Soka Gakkai, Buddhist faith lives vibrantly as a philosophy through which ordinary people in contemporary society can pursue happiness and strive to build a peaceful world. It was therefore inevitable that a form of “faith studies,” grounded in a standpoint and methodology distinct from Buddhist Studies, would emerge from within the Soka Gakkai tradition.

It is the three founding presidents of the Soka Gakkai, bound by the mentor-disciple relationship—above all Daisaku Ikeda—who have presented Nichiren Buddhism as a living philosophy and have inspired people with courage and hope. Accordingly, all of Ikeda’s discourses constitute the subject matter of this “Soka Faith Studies.”

Although faith itself is a subjective psychological act, “faith studies” does not confine it within a self-centered and closed subjective sphere; rather, it seeks to articulate it in a universal language as a philosophy grounded in firm logic. In this sense, faith studies requires a form of linguistic objectivity distinct from the empirical objectivity demanded by modern science.

Accordingly, truly उत्कृष्ट faith studies should foster empathy that transcends religious denominations and make possible dialogue and cooperation among them. In fact, Daisaku Ikeda consistently presented the philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism in open, universally accessible language suited to the modern age. At Soka University, Soka Gakuen, and other institutions of the Soka system of education, Ikeda, as founder, deliberately offered words of encouragement without using specialized Buddhist terminology so that even students without religious faith could understand.

He also engaged in numerous interfaith dialogues with intellectuals from backgrounds shaped by Christianity and Islam. All of these efforts represent the universalization of the philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism into the language of the modern age.

Conversely, all of Daisaku Ikeda’s discourses can be reinterpreted in the language of Nichiren Buddhism, and undertaking such work may be considered a central task of Soka Faith Studies. Dr. Mikio Matsuoka has already carried out this endeavor in works such as Nichiren Buddhism and the Thought of Daisaku Ikeda (Third Civilization Publishing, 2018).

In this way, it is clear that the task of interpreting Ikeda’s discourses will constitute the core of Soka Faith Studies.

The Possibility of Interfaith Dialogue in the Faith Studies of Masaru Sato

What I find particularly gratifying in the activities of the Institute of Soka Faith Studies is that Masaru Sato, a former diplomat and writer, participated as a guest at both the inaugural ceremony on March 12, 2019, and the research meeting held on September 6 of the same year, offering valuable insights. Sato is a believer in Protestantism and, as a theologian, possesses the expressive ability and intellectual insight to articulate the philosophy of Christianity.

What is particularly noteworthy is that he has applied this perspective and methodology to the faith of the Soka Gakkai, a religion other than his own, and has thereby attained an exceptionally accurate understanding and grasp of it. This is clearly reflected in his work Daisaku Ikeda Studies: Pursuing the Path to a World Religion (Asahi Shimbun Publications, 2020).

Earlier, I noted that faith studies are “in many cases conducted by adherents of the religion in question.” However, Sato’s work in “Soka Faith Studies” provides an outstanding example demonstrating that faith studies from an external perspective are possible even without adherence to that religion. The foundation that has enabled Sato to pursue such an approach appears to lie in his commitment to the Ecumenical Movement within Christianity.

Within Christianity, over the course of a long history and the process of becoming a world religion, numerous denominations emerged—including Catholic Church and Protestantism—and they continued to engage in conflicts in which each regarded itself as orthodox while criticizing others. However, in the twentieth century, a movement arose, primarily among Protestant denominations, to reunify Christianity once again under a single principle. This is known as the Ecumenical Movement. The Roman Catholic Church has also come to support this movement.

Masaru Sato holds that, for this movement to succeed, it is essential not to interpret the doctrines of other denominations through the logic of one’s own, but rather to discern the “immanent logic” inherent in those traditions—that is, the distinctive worldview and philosophy that undergird their faith—and to translate it into universal language. In this sense, “immanent logic” may be understood as a principle of translation that makes interdenominational dialogue possible.

Moreover, Sato has extended this translational practice beyond Christianity, applying it to interreligious dialogue with the Soka Gakkai, a Buddhist movement belonging to a different religious tradition.

“Soka Faith Studies” as developed by Masaru Sato may be described as an “immanent logic viewed from the outside,” whereas the form of Soka Faith Studies that we seek to pursue would be an “immanent logic viewed from within.” At times, an external perspective may make it easier to find language that enables appropriate universalization.

From a linguistic standpoint, this is analogous to the phenomenon in which foreign learners who study Japanese objectively as a second language often possess a more explicit knowledge of its grammar than native speakers who have acquired it unconsciously. However, the “immanent logic” in question must, in principle, be the same whether viewed from the outside or from within; otherwise, it cannot function as a principle of translation.

Just as I myself have conducted research in linguistics while learning methodologies for describing the Japanese language, it should be possible to construct a form of Soka Faith Studies that contributes to interreligious dialogue by articulating the “immanent logic” of the Soka Gakkai through an appropriate methodology of faith studies. This is the direction toward which I aspire.

Moreover, having encountered Sato’s theological approach, I would also like to deepen my understanding of the “immanent logic” of Christianity. As Sato often emphasizes, there is great significance in learning, by way of analogy, the process through which Christianity became a world religion. At the same time, by cultivating a perspective that explores “immanent logic from the outside,” we can further expand the potential of faith studies as a means of fostering interreligious dialogue.

Conclusion

In light of the foregoing discussion, it may be said that the role of Soka Faith Studies is to articulate, as accurately as possible, how Nichiren Buddhism has taken root as a living faith in the hearts of people around the world, and how the words of Daisaku Ikeda have expanded empathy among people globally, and to present these insights to society. I am convinced that this is also the mission of the Institute of Soka Faith Studies, which is dedicated to exploring this field.

For my own part, I am resolved to contribute, however modestly, to the further development of Soka Faith Studies.