Theoretical and Behavioral Approaches to the Growth of Soka Gakkai International (SGI)

Dear Colleagues,

We are honored to invite you to the Special Issue of Religions, which aims to theoretically understand the rapid growth of Soka Gakkai International (SGI) in the world. SGI is a global Buddhist movement rooted in Nichiren Buddhism, with over 12 million members in 192 countries and territories. Founded in Japan in 1930 as an educational reform movement, SGI has evolved into one of the world’s largest and most influential lay Buddhist organizations. Its philosophy of peace and happiness relied on the Lotus Sutra, has positioned SGI at the forefront of contemporary Buddhist movements engaging with global challenges such as nuclear disarmament, human rights, environmental sustainability, and gender equality.

The scientific study of SGI is significant theoretically for several reasons. First, SGI exemplifies the globalization of religion, adapting Buddhist principles to diverse cultural contexts while maintaining a unified core philosophy. Second, SGI’s activities in peacebuilding, education, and humanitarian relief provide a unique case for examining the interface between religion, civil society, and international institutions. Third, SGI’s growth, organizational structure, and strategies for social legitimacy offer insights into how new religious movements respond to and shape modernity.

Despite its scale and impact, SGI remains theoretically underexplored, especially in religious studies, cultural studies, peace studies, anthropology, and sociology. A dedicated Special Issue will fill this gap, offering multidisciplinary perspectives on SGI’s doctrines, practices, and global adaptation. The aim of this Special Issue is to advance scholarly understanding of Soka Gakkai International as a paradigmatic example of a modern, socially engaged lay Buddhist movement. It will appeal to scholars interested in Buddhist lay movements, new religious movements, faith-based transnational activism, and the role of faith communities in global governance. The Special Issue welcomes original research articles, theoretical and behavioral essays, comparative studies, case studies, and critical reviews. Preferred themes include the following:

1. Theoretical interpretation of historical and doctrinal foundations such as value creation, human revolution, lay Buddhism, and Buddhist humanism based on the Lotus Sutra
2. Adaptation strategies in different cultural and national contexts, like the role of zuihō-bini (“adapting to local customs”)
3. Social engagement and international activism such as nuclear disarmament advocacy, human rights education, gender equality, environmental initiatives, and partnerships with the United Nations and other NGOs.
4. Organizational structure and membership, such as leadership, governance, demographic distribution, financial management, and resource mobilization.
5. Controversies and critical perspectives, such as the relationship with the Nichiren Shoshu and Komeito Party and its quest for social or public legitimacy.
6. Comparison with other new religious movements, other Buddhist or Christian lay movements

This Special Issue is expected to provide a comprehensive, multidisciplinary analysis of SGI, offering practical and meaningful insights not only to scholars interested in the process of religious growth but also to policymakers, educators, and practitioners engaged in faith-based NGOs or NPOs and global governance. Above all, situating them within broader debates on religion and social change leads to a better understanding of new directions for empirical and theoretical research on SGI and similar movements. By bringing together leading scholars and emerging voices, the Special Issue will serve as a definitive resource on Soka Gakkai International and its significance in the contemporary world.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200-300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editor, or to the Assistant Editor of Religions. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purpose of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Kwangsuk Yoo
Prof. Dr. Andrew Eungi Kim
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• Soka Gakkai International
• Buddhist lay movement
• Buddhist social engagement
• Buddhist citizenship
• Buddhist growth
• Buddhist humanitarianism
• Buddhist global community