JAPANESE TRANSFORMATION OF AMERICAN RELIGIOUS DISCOURSE
Uoki Tadakazu’s Political Theology
Keywords:
Arthur McGiffert, Uoki Tadakazu, Political Theology, Japanese Christianity, Social Engagement DiscourseAbstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the formation process of Japanese theologian Uoki Tadakazu’s nationalistic (and imperial) theology. Unlike previous studies that have narrowly analyzed Uoki’s ‘Japan-style Christianity’ in the context of domestic cultural politics, this paper examines Uoki’s political theology in the context of transnational entanglement. It deals with how one context discussed in relation to social engagement at Union Theological Seminary (UTS) was imported and modified by a Japanese theologian who studied at UTS in the early and mid-1920s. While Uoki studied under Arthur McGiffert at Union, McGiffert’s approach to early church history prompted Uoki to consider Christianity’s role in society. After returning to Japan, he created ‘Japan-style Christianity’ through his efforts to incorporate various theological streams in the United States into Japanese society. This article provides an opportunity to seriously consider the relationship between religion and peace through Uoki’s political theology, which advocated the imperial war.
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