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Review Of Richard M. Jaffe. Neither Monk Nor Layman: Clerical Marriage In Modern Japanese Buddhism, Stephen G. Covell

Comparative Religion Publications

First paragraph:

Clerical marriage stands alongside changing attitudes towards funerary care as one of the most critical issues in contemporary Japanese Buddhism. In this richly detailed and clearly written work, Richard Jaffe describes how the issue of clerical marriage came to dominate modern Japanese Buddhism. In so doing he provides a valuable contribution to the fields of Japanese Studies and Buddhology. Moreover, through his focus on the interaction between the Meiji state and Buddhist organizations Jaffe provides abundant material for anyone interested in state-religion issues.