Pamela Winfield published a full-length review article entitled "State of the Fields: Recent Contributions to Japanese Art History and Religious Studies" for the peer-reviewed journal Religious Studies Review vol. 36 no. 3 (September 2010).
Her essay considers six recent publications that have pushed the interrelated fields of Japanese art history and religious studies in new directions.
“The common denominator linking these historically disparate works together is the surprising mobility and malleability of the temple complex, which shifts and changes over time not only in terms of structural modifications, but also sectarian affiliations, patron associations, icon configurations and image identities. Graham’s work on modern religious imagery extends this motif even further in emphasizing innovation within tradition and the creation of new sacred spaces in the modern context.”
“In considering all of this material and visual culture, from seventh century temple rooftiles to twenty-first century light installations in Tokyo, [Winfield] demonstrates that the interdisciplinary study of Japanese Buddhist art and architecture is alive and well, and that viewing Japan’s representative sacred spaces though archaeological, textual, economic, sociological and art historical lenses can provide penetrating insight into the zeitgeist of each historical period.”