Academic literature on the topic 'Japanese Christian literature'

This article reflects on post-WWII developments and the current state of church-related diaconal initiatives in Japan. Pioneering Christians have made significant contributions to the development of social welfare since the Meiji Era (1868–1912). Despite still being a radical minority of around only 1 percent of Japan’s population, the nationwide network of Japanese Christian churches, educational institutions, and social welfare organizations makes Christianity’s presence felt on a much wider scale. With its focus on postwar efforts, this article gives a brief overview that ranges from education to social reform and medical care, all of which were traditionally incorporated under the notion of “Christian Social Welfare” (Kirisutokyō Shakai Fukushi). The research integrates Japanese and English sources in a methodical, rigorous literature study in response to the following main question: Why is there a complicated relationship in postwar Japan between church practices defined as diakonia and the work of Christian-based social welfare organizations? This article discovers how diakonia as a theological concept is re-orientating the core identity and mission of churches in Japan. A case study from the Reformed Church of Japan’s diaconal activities is presented to highlight the conclusion that a complex relationship remains between social welfare organizations and wider church practices enacted under the rubric of diakonia.

By analyzing video interviews with proponents of Christian feminism, as well as literature stemming from their movement in Japan, this article explores the contemporary approaches of Japanese women to theology and practical faith. While tracing their discourses over the last sixty years, the article focuses on the existing variety of perspectives, as well as on the problems that have emerged from the intentional embrace of multiple voices. Drawing on Deleuze and Guattari, I identify “majoritarian” tendencies in these feminist approaches. However, the sources used here also show that Christian feminism in Japan has considerable potential for “becoming-minoritarian.” Furthermore, I argue that the situation of Christian feminism differs from those of feminist movements in the major religions of Japan in so far as Christian feminists comprise a sub-minority of a religious minority that naturally needs to reach out to other minority groups, both within and outside Christian feminism. At the same time, these attempts at outreach tend to provoke criticism from fellow Christian believers, reinforcing the marginalization of Christian feminism in Japan.

Although not ignored, Rahner’s theology has not played a significant influence on the interdisciplinary scholarship between Catholic theology and literature, perhaps because Rahner’s thought is often considered to lack a theological aesthetics. This article encourages a reevaluation of this impression by bringing Rahner’s theology of symbol and his argument for the anonymous Christian into dialogue with the last novel of the acclaimed Japanese Catholic Shusaku Endo, Deep River (1994). Endo’s novel challenges theologians to consider Rahner’s insights in concrete, multi-cultural, and non-Christian contexts, and demonstrates the importance of thinking about Rahner’s theology of symbol in terms of narrative. At the same time, Endo’s novel prompts a reconsideration of Rahner’s controversial argument for the anonymous Christian, for Rahner’s thought and Endo’s novel present two different approaches to the issue of religious pluralism. In this dialogue between novelist and theologian, the Incarnational foundation of Rahner’s argument for the anonymous Christian emerges more clearly, a foundation that can be easily missed amidst his abstract rhetoric.

AbstractThe author argues that the Kyoto school of modern Japanese Buddhist philosophy can contribute much to Christian reflection on the problem of a transcultural theology. Starting with the work of Nishida Kitaro in the early part of this century, the Kyoto school has attempted to express Mahayana Buddhist thought in Western philosophical categories. Articulating his own “logic” based on the Mahayana notions of emptiness and nothingness, Nishida went on to advance a fully developed philosophy of religion which offers a unique interpretation of Christian theism while presenting the Mahayana tradition in a critical and systematic language accessible to a Western readership. Nishida's colleagues in the School include Tanabe Hajime, Nishitani Keiji, Takeuchi Yoshinori, and Abe Masao among others. A review of the literature available in Western languages is offered, as well as a discussion of some of the salient theological problems raised by this Mahayana critique of Christian theism and its contribution to the problem of a transcultural theological standpoint.

This study examines the mythology of Izanami Goddess and Izanagi God in Japanese Shinto religion and representations of Izanami Goddess and Izanagi God in the film Noragami Aragoto Adachitoka’s creation directed by Kotaro Tamura. This study is important because the story of Izanami Goddess and Izanagi God has never been adopted in modern scientific literature even though it has been listed in several anime in Japan. The research data was collected through documentation on the Kojiki and Nihonsoki books as well as capturing scenes of Noragami Aragoto films. Then analyzed using Christian Metz's language cinematography theory and Rudolf Otto's sacred theory. The results showed that firstly, based on the phenomenological perspective and sacrity from Rudolf Otto, Izanami Goddess and Izanagi God in Japanese Shinto mythology were the ancestors of the Mother and Father of the Gods and divine beings and played an active role in the creation of islands in Japan along with its contents. Secondly, in the Noragami Aragoto film, the perspective of cinematographic language Christian Metz, Izanami Goddess and Izanagi God are represented as mysteries of Father and Mother of Ebisu God (Hiruko) and Yaboku God (Awashima or Aha) with backgrounds that are very different from each other.Key Words: mythology, Shinto, Izanami, Izanagi, cinematographic language, and sacred.

The great achievement of mankind was the appearance of a printed book that not only significantly expanded the circle of readers, but also in comparison with the handwritten book contributed to the unification of canonical texts, in particular, such as Scripture, church service books, works of the Church Fathers, polemical and other religious literature. Consideration of the words "Japanese typography as the basis for the preservation and transmission of sources of Christian literary culture requires a brief description of the essence of printing, not only as a means of mechanical reproduction of the text, but also a remarkable cultural-historical phenomenon.

Abstract: This essay presents an exploration of Mumeihi [ The Unnamed Monument ], an enigmatic novel by Japanese Christian writer Ayako Sono. Recognized as a work of literature inspired by the biblical book of Job, Mumeihi is the story of how an elite civil engineer is killed by his wife, who becomes insane following their daughter's death. The novel's complex plot, multiple moving parts, absence of a biblical reference, and entirely pagan setting, have left its Joban origin elusive among the reading public. The essay uncovers the novel's Joban allusions and themes, including by using, as the interpretive key, Sono's own nonfictional writings.

This article considers the case of Shokojo Sera (1985), a Japanese animated series based on the novel A Little Princess, within the context of the World Masterpiece Theater, a television staple that popularized the practice of adapting classic children’s books into long-running anime. The analysis identifies the changes occurring in the adaptation, casting a light on the creative and productive choices undertaken by the Japanese staff. In doing so, the original novel and its reception in Japan are taken into account, with regard to the role of translated literature for local children’s and girls’ fiction. The study thus demonstrates that the alterations found in the series are both genre-related and explicable in terms of cultural-filtered interpretations, as can be seen in the negotiation of the protagonist as a Christian damsel-in-distress, combining melodramatic tropes, a signifier of westernization and a domesticating rationale of her alleged passivity.

Годы Второй мировой войны знают множество примеров различных по своей сложности и исполнению разведывательных / контрразведывательных операций. Однако близко связанная с этим тема надзора и противодействия деятельности пронемецких и прояпонских общественных организаций в США достаточно мало изучена в отечественной историографии. В рамках данной статьи на нескольких конкретных примерах рассмотрено как действовали федеральные агенты в отношении общественных организаций немецкой диаспоры («Бунд»), сочувствовавших Германии объединений («Христианский фронт») и организаций японцев в США («Хеймуша Каи» и др.). Данные примеры показывают особенности и крупные недостатки работы ФБР на этих направлениях, а также дают понять, как действовали спецслужбы США в условиях войны и существующей в Америке судебной системе, а также насколько на деятельность по обеспечению внутренней безопасности влияли мотивы политической борьбы в стране. Рассмотренные примеры позволяют сделать вывод о том, что помимо продиктованных войной контрразведывательных мотивов деятельность ФБР на данном направлении имела ярко выраженную политическую окраску и была связана с борьбой администрации президента Ф. Д. Рузвельта с критикой «справа». Тем не менее результаты расследований агентов не выдержали испытаний судебным процессом и за исключением дел связанных с активностью японских организаций в США оканчивались оправдательными приговорами. Также обращает на себя внимание роль прессы в данных делах. СМИ в большинстве своём работали на обоснование деятельности Бюро и его агентов. Методологически исследование опирается на принципы историзма, проблемно-хронологический метод и методы исторической компаративистики. Статья базируется на архивных материалах Бюро и литературе по теме исследования. The years of World War II know many examples of various intelligence / counterintelligence operations in their complexity and execution. However, the closely related topic of supervision and opposition to the activities of pro-German and pro-Japanese public organizations in the United States is quite little studied in domestic historiography. Within the framework of this article, several specific examples examined how federal agents acted in relation to public organizations of the German diaspora ("Bund"), associations sympathetic to Germany ("Christian Front") and Japanese organizations in the United States ("Heimusha Kai" and others). These examples show the features and major shortcomings of the FBI's work in these areas, and also make it clear how the US intelligence services acted in the conditions of war and the existing judicial system in America, as well as how much the motives of the political struggle in the country influenced the activities to ensure internal security. The considered examples allow us to draw a conclusion that in addition to the counterintelligence motives dictated by the war, the FBI's activities in this direction had a pronounced political color and were associated with the struggle of the presidential administration F. D. Roosevelt with criticism "on the right." However, the results of the investigations of the agents did not stand the test of the trial and, with the exception of cases related to the activity of Japanese organizations in the United States, ended in acquittals. Also, the role of the press in these cases is noteworthy. The media for the most part worked to substantiate the activities of the Bureau and its agents. Methodologically, the study relies on the principles of historicism, problem-chronological method and methods of historical comparative studies. The article is based on archival materials from the Bureau and literature on the topic of research.