Chapter I: Primitive Faith: Religion Before Books, Page 1

Salutatory.--The Morse Lectureship and its provisions.--The Science of Comparative Religion is Christianity's own child.--The Parliament of Religions.--The Study of Religion most appropriate in a Theological Seminary.--Shortening weapons and lengthening boundaries.--The right missionary spirit that of the Master, who "came not to destroy but to fulfil."--Characteristics of Japan.--Bird's-eye view of Japanese history and religion.--Popularly, not three religions but one religion.--Superstitions which are not organically parts of the "book-religions."--The boundary line between the Creator and his creation not visible to the pagan.--Shamanism: Fetichism.--Mythical monsters, Kirin, Phoenix, Tortoise, Dragon.--Japanese mythical zoölogy.--The erection of the stone fetich.--Insurance by amulets upon house and person.--Phallicism.--Tree-worship.--Serpent-worship.--These unwritten superstitions condition the "book-religions."--Removable by science and a higher religion.

CHAPTER II

SHINTO: MYTHS AND RITUAL, PAGE 35

Japan is young beside China and Korea.--Japanese history is comparatively modern.--The oldest documents date from A.D. 712.--The Japanese archipelago inhabited before the Christian era.--Faith, worship and ritual are previous to written espression.--The Kojiki, Manyōshu and Norito.--Tendency of the pupil nations surrounding China to antedate their civilization.--Origin of the Japanese people and their religion.--Three distinct lines of tradition from Tsukushi, Idzumo and Yamato.--War of the invaders against the aborigines--Mikadoism is the heart of Shintō.--Illustrations from the liturgies.--Phallicism among the aborigines and common people.--The mind or mental climate of the primæval man.--Representation of male gods by emblems.--Objects of worship and _ex-voto_.--Ideas of creation.--The fire-myth, Prometheus.--Comparison of Greek and Japanese mythology.--Ritual for the quieting of the fire-god.--The fire-drill.