Chanting with Benefits: Instrumental Trust and Familiarity among Members of Italian Soka Gakkai

The article looks at an analysis of trust issues among Soka Gakkai members in Italy. The organization is made up of official members and neophytes, who interact on a daily basis in an informal environment, with a high degree of intimacy and familiarity. Trust among members can be considered a core issue, and is seen as being composed of an instrumental element. This paper deals with how this component influences relationships between members in terms of economic practices and mutual assistance. Starting from the assumption that Soka Gakkai affiliates are able to manipulate interactions in order to achieve goals which may not strictly comply with the aims of the organization itself, the article makes clear how the confidence created by the shared religious experience fosters frequent economic transactions, work affiliations and general economic support.