A masterful study of Japan's most important religion, this volume presents a comprehensive history of Shinto thought. The author begins with a general overview of Shinto as an advanced naturalistic religion and then devotes separate in-depth chapters to the pure polytheistic manifestation of Shinto, to theanthropic tendencies in Shinto, and to Shinto as the national religion of Japan. The final chapter is a detailed outline of Shinto rites that includes information about the rites themselves, offerings at rites and ceremonies, the origin of Shinto shrines, the Shinto priesthood, external purity and the concept of sin, offerings as compensation and exorcism, and divination and spell, oath, and ordeal in Shintoism.