Caterina Bertoli – DREST (Italian Doctoral School for Religious Studies), DSAAM, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (2022–present)
Recipient of a PhD scholarship funded by the UBI Study Center, with the project: “Theravāda, Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna: Texts, Rituals, and Practitioners”

This research focuses on the various ways of “being Buddhist” in Italy today, with particular attention to Buddhist groups that do not identify with—or are not able to identify with—the institutionalized Buddhism represented by the Italian Buddhist Union (U.B.I.). Within this context, the study centers on Shinnyo-en, a Japanese-origin religious movement often classified as a New Religious Movement (NRM), less known than Sōka Gakkai but therefore even more interesting to explore.

The main objective is to analyze in depth Shinnyo-en’s positioning within the contemporary Italian Buddhist landscape, investigating its mechanisms of legitimation, identity strategies, and dynamics of institutional and spiritual recognition. The research also explores how Italian members of Shinnyo-en define themselves—sometimes as Buddhists, sometimes simply as “followers”—and their relationship to Catholic-rooted practices and beliefs.

As part of the internship with the UBI Study Center, the project includes a comparative analysis with a Nichiren group active in Italy and affiliated with the UBI. This comparison highlights similarities and divergences between two communities that, while both rooted in Japanese Buddhism, differ substantially in terms of legal status, public recognition, and doctrinal references.

Finally, the project opens up the possibility—if conditions permit—of expanding the investigation to the Japanese context, to examine how strategies of legitimation and identity formation differ or align across cultural settings.