오늘날 일본의 신종교에 관한 선행 연구는, 기성의 가치지향(=모더니즘)을 극복하려는 다양한 시도(=포스트모더니즘)의 결과였다. 이러한 다양한 시도는 신종교에 대한 다각적 분석을 가능하게 해주었으며, 학문적 흥미를 자극시켜 주었다는 점에서 높이 평가 할 수도 있을 것이다. 그러나, 한편으로는, 이러한 연구의 다양성만큼이나 각각의 주장의 내적 관련성을 찾기가 쉽지 않은 문제를 남겨 놓게 되었다. 신종교 연구의 문제점은, 그동안, 이들의 연구 대상에 대한 학문적 관심이, 각각의 학문분야에 내재된 문제의식을 전제로 한 것이 아니라, 매스컴 주도형으로 촉발되는 경우가 많았다는 것이다. 신종교 집단의 비합리적 또는 반사회적 행위가 매스컴에 의해 사회적 관심의 대상이 되면, 연구자는 이에 대한 나름의 학문적 설명을 하는 식의 대응이 많았다. 미디어가 주도하는 아젠다를 쫒아가는 연구가 많았다는 것이다. 따라서 이들의 문제 관심이 많은 경우, 연구 대상에 대한 이해 그 자체가 아닌, 사회 일반의 물음에 대한 해답의 제시에 있었다.

The previous researches on Japanese New Religion were the consequence of having made various attempts (i.e.,Postmodernism) to overcome the existing Value Orientation (i.e., Modernism). These diverse trials would stand high in evaluation in that they have made it possible to make various analyses of the New Religion and stimulated academic interest in it. However, the diversity in those researches has left difficulties in finding inner connection within them. The problem of researches on the New Religion is that academic interest in the object of these studies has risen mostly by the mass media, not by the presupposition of a critical mind immanent in each study. Researchers have given explanation of the case with their own academic explication when the irrational and antisocial behavior of new religious group becomes a matter of social interest. A lot of researches have followed agenda aroused by the mass media. Therefore, they have been mainly interested not in the understanding itself about the object of research but in providing an answer to the question from the general public.

The previous researches on Japanese New Religion were the consequence of having made various attempts (i.e.,Postmodernism) to overcome the existing Value Orientation (i.e., Modernism). These diverse trials would stand high in evaluation in that they have made it possible to make various analyses of the New Religion and stimulated academic interest in it. However, the diversity in those researches has left difficulties in finding inner connection within them. The problem of researches on the New Religion is that academic interest in the object of these studies has risen mostly by the mass media, not by the presupposition of a critical mind immanent in each study. Researchers have given explanation of the case with their own academic explication when the irrational and antisocial behavior of new religious group becomes a matter of social interest. A lot of researches have followed agenda aroused by the mass media. Therefore, they have been mainly interested not in the understanding itself about the object of research but in providing an answer to the question from the general public.

Japanese New Religion, Postmodernism, Japanese public religion, religion research, media religion