East Asian · macro

Shinto

Kami are everywhere — in rivers, mountains, ancestors and the occasional remarkable person — and the religion is what you do rather than what you believe. There is no sin to be saved from, only impurity to be washed off.

What makes it unusual

The axes on which this tradition sits furthest from the middle of the matrix — which is to say, the positions that actually distinguish it.

A3 Pluralitymany powers and spiritsFurther toward "many powers and spirits" than most traditions in the matrix.
E3 Locus of belonginga people, inheritedFurther toward "a people, inherited" than most traditions in the matrix.
D2 Centrality of ritualessential and prescribedFurther toward "essential and prescribed" than most traditions in the matrix.
E4 Standing of natureanimate and itself sacredFurther toward "animate and itself sacred" than most traditions in the matrix.

All seventeen positions

Each cell carries a centre, a dispersion — how much internal variation the tradition genuinely tolerates — and the source the position rests on. Disagree with one? Say so; corrections are public and recorded.

The same seventeen values as a single shape, read clockwise from A1 at the top. The outline is where the tradition sits; the wider band around it is the variation it genuinely tolerates, so a tight outline is a tight tradition.

position
tolerated variation

A · The divine

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
A1 Divine realitynothing beyond the natural → a divine reality certainly exists	a divine reality certainly existsKojiki, Nihon Shoki, and Jinja Honcho practice guidance	0.92	0.08
A2 Personhoodimpersonal principle or order → a personal being one can address	between impersonal principle or order and a personal being one can addressKojiki, Nihon Shoki, and Jinja Honcho practice guidance	0.55	0.18
A3 Pluralitystrictly one → many powers and spirits	many powers and spiritsKojiki, Nihon Shoki, and Jinja Honcho practice guidance	0.98	0.02
A4 Locuswholly beyond the world → fully present within it	fully present within itKojiki, Nihon Shoki, and Jinja Honcho practice guidance	0.95	0.04

B · Knowledge and authority

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
B1 Source of truthrevealed and fixed → reason and direct experience	between revealed and fixed and reason and direct experienceKojiki, Nihon Shoki, and Jinja Honcho practice guidance	0.45	0.18
B2 Reading of sacred textliteral and binding → metaphorical, or no text at all	leaning metaphorical, or no text at allKojiki, Nihon Shoki, and Jinja Honcho practice guidance	0.75	0.14
B3 Institutional authorityclergy and tradition decide → individual conscience decides	leaning clergy and tradition decideKojiki, Nihon Shoki, and Jinja Honcho practice guidance	0.30	0.16

C · Self and destiny

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
C1 Survival of the selfends at death → continues in some form	between ends at death and continues in some formKojiki, Nihon Shoki, and Jinja Honcho practice guidance	0.55	0.22
C2 Shape of timeone life, then judgment → cyclical return	leaning one life, then judgmentKojiki, Nihon Shoki, and Jinja Honcho practice guidance	0.35	0.20
C3 The human conditionfallen and in need of rescue → ignorant but fundamentally sound	ignorant but fundamentally soundKojiki, Nihon Shoki, and Jinja Honcho practice guidance	0.88	0.08

D · Practice

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
D1 Mechanism of the ultimate goodgiven as grace → achieved by effort or insight	between given as grace and achieved by effort or insightKojiki, Nihon Shoki, and Jinja Honcho practice guidance	0.60	0.18
D2 Centrality of ritualessential and prescribed → optional or absent	essential and prescribedKojiki, Nihon Shoki, and Jinja Honcho practice guidance	0.02	0.03
D3 The bodyto be disciplined → to be celebrated	between to be disciplined and to be celebratedKojiki, Nihon Shoki, and Jinja Honcho practice guidance	0.60	0.16

E · World and others

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
E1 Exclusivityone true path → many valid paths	leaning many valid pathsKojiki, Nihon Shoki, and Jinja Honcho practice guidance	0.78	0.12
E2 Origin of the cosmosan intentional act → beginningless or natural	leaning an intentional actKojiki, Nihon Shoki, and Jinja Honcho practice guidance	0.35	0.20
E3 Locus of belonginga people, inherited → an individual choice	a people, inheritedKojiki, Nihon Shoki, and Jinja Honcho practice guidance	0.15	0.12
E4 Standing of naturecreation, given for use → animate and itself sacred	animate and itself sacredKojiki, Nihon Shoki, and Jinja Honcho practice guidance	0.95	0.04

Compared with

Where do you sit?

The questionnaire places your own answers on these same seventeen axes and reports how close you are to this tradition and to 64 others. Take it — eight to fourteen questions, nothing transmitted.