The Way of the Kami with Rev. Ann Evans & Rev. Taishi Kato

What if a religion had no dogma, no scripture, and no conversion? Two Shinto priests, one running a rare North American shrine, one heir to a 1,000-year-old shrine in Japan, explain the way of the kami, and why the sacred might be waiting in the forest near you. In this episode of Religion to Reality, Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich speak with Rev. Ann Evans (Matsuri Foundation of Canada, author of Shinto Norito: A Book of Prayers) about kami, misogi cold-water purification, torii gates, the Shinto view of heaven, and forest bathing (shinrin-yoku), including a live chanted purification prayer. Then Rev. Taishi Kato of Hattori Tenjingu Shrine explains why the most important practice of a Shinto priest is simply keeping the shrine grounds clean. Chapters 00:00 – “It just was home” 03:00 – Ann’s story: from Pasadena Presbyterian to Shinto priest 06:30 – No dogma, no conversion: “Shinto just exists” 09:00 – What is Shinto? The way of the kami 11:30 – Misogi: cold-water purification 16:00 – Is misogi baptismal? Ritual across traditions 19:30 – Daily life at a Shinto shrine 22:00 – The Harai no kotoba prayer, chanted live 26:30 – Ko-Shinto, Shrine Shinto & bringing Shinto to America 30:30 – Totoro, Kodama & what Ghibli gets right 32:30 – Torii gates: crossing into the sacred 33:30 – Heaven, ancestors & 50 days of prayer 36:00 – Forest bathing: “the forest is the therapist” 41:00 – Why forest bathing is not a hike 48:30 – Meet Rev. Taishi Kato 51:30 – Why sweeping leaves is a priest’s most important practice 55:00 – Next episode: Elizabeth Schrader Polczer on Mary Magdalene Links & Resources Matsuri Foundation of Canada: https://matsuri.ca Shinto Norito: A Book of Prayers by Ann Llewellyn Evans Show notes & resources: https://religiontoreality.org Join Our Monthly Interfaith Gathering Free and online, first Wednesday of every month. Sign up: https://religiontoreality.substack.com Subscribe to Religion to Reality wherever you listen to podcasts.