The Institutionalization of a New Japanese Religious Movement

Abstract

In this article I explore the history of Merida’s Soka Gakkai a Secular Buddhist New Religious Movement localized in Japan. The main objective is to analyze its institutionalization process in order to understand its establishment in a foreign context, recognizing the disruptive forces that arise as part of the organizational complexity. Firstly, I present an historical overview of the Soka Gakkai and its religious background, from the Buddhism of Nichiren. Subsequently, I divide in stages the development of the group (incipient organization, efficiency and formalism) to find the historical junctures that explain the current condition of the Soka Gakkai in Merida. Finally, I discuss a vision as a whole from the analysis.