Christianity Made in Japan: a Study of Indigenous Movements (Nanzan Library of Asian Religion and Culture)

For centuries, the accommodation between Japan and Christianity has been an uneasy one. Compared with other Asian countries, the churches in Japan have never counted more than a small number of believers resigned to a pattern of ritual and belief transplanted from the West. There has however been a rise in indigenous movements aimed at a Christianity that is at once made in Japan and faithful to the scriptures and apostolic tradition. This text presents a sympathetic look behind the scenes and into the lives of the leaders and followers of several indigenous movements in Japan. Focusing on the "native" response rather than Western missionary efforts, the book presents a variety of interpretations of the Christian tradition, while raising questions vital to the self-understanding of Christianity as a "world religion".