Episode
Does Japan have a Divine Council? - CTDW Episode 47
- Published
- May 19, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3851
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Summary
Shinto: The Way of the Gods | Ft. Austin Cox (Catholic Kappa)It's been almost a year since we had Austin Cox back on the show, and we hit the ground running on one of the most fascinating topics I've read about in a long time — Shinto, the ancient native belief system of Japan.I recently picked up a book on Shinto from the library almost on a whim, and I couldn't put it down. The deeper I got, the more my brain was on fire. There are layers here that most Westerners never get to see — the etymology of the word itself ("the way of the gods"), the ancient creation myths of Izanami and Izanagi, the ritual purification practices, the concept of Kami, and just how many wild parallels exist with ancient Near Eastern belief — including Hebrew cosmology.Austin and I talk through the Jomon and Yayoi periods, how modern Shinto formed around the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, why Japan is unlike anywhere else spiritually, and what it means that this religion has no traceable founder — nature itself is considered its origin.We also go deep on some things that genuinely kept me up at night: the four souls doctrine, soul fracturing, mortuary tablets, mirrors as spiritual conduits, Kozyrev's Mirror, Tulpas, and how all of it connects to what we see playing out in our world right now.Austin also shares about his incredible ministry Ukon's Lantern Ministries, his upcoming EWTN documentary on Blessed Ukon Takayama, and a book recommendation from Pope John Paul II — Ecclesia in Asia — that I'm already tracking down.This one went long for a reason. Don't miss the second half behind the paywall.Follow Austin:Ukon's Lantern Ministries (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577063702345&sk=about)Little Catholic Cop (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092004061468)Substack:…