The Japanese Assooiation for the Study of Religion and 書評 とリ プ ライ the proposition by Professor Inaba that NRMs may be keys to resolving problems 、 in modern socie 七 y . To sum up , I strollgly endorse the research that earned Professor Inaba his PhD . It provides a wonderfu1 ' template ' for prospective students , and provides further ammunition against those who see NRMs as somehow anti − social . But as a book , rather than a thesis , I think the target is too smal . He is under orders to

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... y canons of measurab 丗 ty that reveal little more than the presence or absence of altruism . However the real theoretical and methodological challenge , fbr social scientists , is to find ways to go even further , to elucidate more subtly social motivations and surrounding social dynamics , and ge 七 beyond the ' individual versus the rest ' models that plague us . By pointing to ' empathy ' , Professor Inaba has ht a torch fbr us , but very few social scientists have the training or inclination and courage to go down such a path . That is our problem . The only way to build on Professor Inaba ' s insights is to encourage more and longer fieldwork , rather than surveys and