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Abstract
Every year various disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, and floods hit Japan. In the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, approximately 16,000 people lost their lives due to the tsunami and the consequent collapse of buildings. Voluntary groups and religious institutions came to affected areas from every part of Japan to help the recovery of those struck by disasters. Drawing on the idea of “path” that is so prominent in Asia, including in Japan, Tenrikyo and Islam teach their adherents the importance of voluntary activities such as hinokishin in Tenrikyo and ṣadaqah in Islam, as the sure path to salvation. Various motivations are found in the activities and reverential attitudes to God by the adherents in both religious traditions. In this paper, by paying attention to the relationship between religious doctrines and voluntary activities in Tenrikyo and Islam, I try to compare the characteristics of both from the viewpoint of “salvation,” according to the practice of comparative theology.