Buddhist
Catholic
Contemplative
Evangelical
General Christian
Hindu
Jewish
Latter-day Saint
Muslim
New Visions
Progressive Christian
Beliefs
Buddhist
Catholic
Contemplative
Evangelical
General Christian
Hindu
Jewish
Latter-day Saint
More Voices
Muslim
New Visions
Pagan
Progressive Christian
Topics
Religion News
Food and Religion
Sports and Religion
Religious Art
Religious Music and Entertainment
Religious Events
History and Religion
Style and Religion
Politics and Religion
Women in Religion
Recreation Outdoors and Religion
Business Finance and Religion
Careers Workplace and Religion
Education and Religion
Family Parenting and Religion
Health Fitness and Religion
Home and Religion
Relationships and Religion
Technology and Religion
Travel and Religion
Columnists
Buddhist Columnists
Business Finance and Religion Columnists
Careers Workplace and Religion Columnists
Catholic Columnists
Contemplative Columnists
Education and Religion Columnists
Evangelists Columnists
Family Parenting and Religion Columnists
General Christian Columnists
Health Fitness and Religion Columnists
Hindu Columnists
History and Religion Columnists
Home and Religion Columnists
Jewish Columnists
More Voices Columnists
Latter Day Columnists
Muslim Columnists
New Visions Columnists
Nonreligious Columnists
Pagan Columnists
Politics and Religion Columnists
Progressive Columnists
Recreation Outdoors and Religion Columnists
Relationships and Religion Columnists
Religion News Columnists
Religious Art Columnists
Religious Events Columnists
Religious Music and Entertainment Columnists
Sports and Religion Columnists
Style and Religion Columnists
Technology and Religion Columnists
Travel and Religion Columnists
Women in Religion Columnists
Resource Library
Library of World Religions
The 100 Most Holy Places on Earth
Patheos Answers
Podcasts
Videos
Faith Leaders Database
Anglican Episcopalian
Bahai
Baptist
Buddhism
Christianity
Confucianism
Eastern Orthodoxy
Hinduism
Holiness and Pentecostal
ISKCON
Islam
Judaism
Lutheran
Methodist
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
New Age
Paganism
Presbytarian and Reformed
Protestantism
Religion Behind the Scenes
Roman Catholic
Scientology
Shia Islam
Sikhism
Sufism
Sunni Islam
Taoism
Zen
See all religions
Research Tools
Comparison Lens
Preacher Resources
Teacher Resources
Video
Podcasts
Thought Readers
E-Books and Other Special Offers
God's Cheat Sheet to Finances
Books of the Bible Study series
History of the Bible
7 Day Prayer Challenge for Spouses
A Different Kind of Christian
Jesus is Love
Prayer Devotional
The Saints We Love
FaithChatter Conversation Cards
Newsletters
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In
Subscription Support
Trending:
History
|
Forgiveness
|
Marriage
|
Parenting
|
Suffering
|
Resurrection
RELIGION LIBRARY
Shinto
Toggle navigation
Overview
Origins
History
Beliefs
Rituals and Worship
Ethics and Community
Sacred Time
Sacred time in Shinto is focused on the human life cycle, particularly on milestones such as birth, coming of age, and marriage. The New Year, harvest, and other significant moments in a yearly cycle are also celebrated, sometimes in conjunction with Buddhism. When one enters the confines of a shrine with a reverent attitude, one can also experience sacred time.
Sacred Space
Any space where a kami has manifested is sacred space. This includes natural objects such as trees or mountains, and the precincts and altars of Shinto shrines. In Japan today it is not uncommon to see a small shrine, marked by a specially designed rope called a shimenawa, in the middle of a downtown shopping district, or a shrine indicated by a torii gate atop a high-rise building.
Rites and Ceremonies
Ritual is central to the practice of Shinto. Every step of a ritual within a shrine follows a carefully prescribed pattern, with segments including purification, prayer, offering, and entertainment for the kami. Matsuri, or festivals, are yearly celebrations that encompass an entire community and may last for several days.
Worship and Devotion in Daily Life
In earlier generations, it was common to have a kamidana within the home and workplace. These would be purified daily, and daily offerings were placed on them for the kami. Talismans from local shrines might also be placed in the kamidana. Today individuals will visit a local shrine to pray whenever they have a need or desire to do so.
Symbolism
There are many Shinto symbols. Among these are the torii gate that is found at the entrance to a Shinto shrine, the sword and the mirror (both related to the myth of Amaterasu), and a pair of foxes seen at the entrance to shrines for the deity Inari. Symbols placed on Shinto altars are usually covered or hidden.
Beliefs
Ethics and Community
Back to religion Library
editors picks
View All Columns
Evangelical
Before You Unplug or Sign Out for Good
Guest Contributor
Evangelical
What Is the Purpose of Spiritual Gifts, and How Do You Discover Yours?
Randy Alcorn
New Visions
5 Ways to Hear What God is Telling You
Tom Rapsas
Muslim
How Awake Are We? When Waking Up is Falling Asleep
Daniel Thomas Dyer
Latter-day Saint
"The Church supports the use of vaccinations"
Dan Peterson
Evangelical
Luther and the Beauty of Christ
Guest Contributor
Entertainment
The Soul of Gospel Music Explored in New Netflix Series "Voices of Fire"
DeWayne Hamby
Contemplative
Seven Ways to Think About Christian Mysticism
Carl McColman
Evangelical
Cancelling Alice Walker?
Philip Jenkins
Evangelical
Does God Have His Own Logic?
Roger E. Olson
Patheos
Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In