Prophet Motive

A tour de force of scholarship, this compelling work raises the bar for works on religion, history and modernity and should be standard reading for years to come. - James Ketelaar, University of Chicago ““Sheds new light on issues of religious leadership, charisma and entrepreneurship. She contributes significantly to the study of new religions by demonstrating the importance of entrepreneurial leadership and the close and essential links between religion and economics.”” - Ian Reader, University of Manchester ““In this multi-faceted study of one of the most colorful characters in twentieth-century Japan, Nancy Stalker shows how a fledgling religious movement can grow through the media-savvy skills of a charismatic leader. Deftly situating Onisaburo’s flamboyant promotional efforts in both domestic and international contexts, Stalker bridges common historiographical divides between religion and politics, state orthodoxy and populist opposition, Meiji history and Taisho culture. A provocative study of one man’s strategies for proselytizing in the global marketplace of religion, Prophet Motive highlights the fluid boundaries between ‘tradition’ and ‘modernity’ in Japan and throughout the world.”” - Sarah Thal, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Nancy K. Stalker is assistant professor in the departments of Asian studies and history at the University of Texas at Austin.