THEANTHROPIC ASPECT OF SHINTŌ DEITIES—SHINTŌ AS A THEANTHROPIC OR HOMOCENTRIC RELIGION

The theanthropic tendency of Shintō, first of all, betrays itself in anthropolatry or the worship of a divine personage, either during his lifetime or after his death. Hence, we have worship of the Emperor or of a hero, while living or after death; we have ancestor worship, i.e., the worship of the spirit of the dead ancestor, and necrolatry, i.e., the worship of the spirit of the dead, as we have seen above.