The Social Forms of Japanese Christianity

Abstract

Christianity in contemporary Japan consists of many different social and cultural forms. It includes, for example, the many churches established by Western missionaries, numerous indigenous movements (churches or sects organisationally independent of Western churches), as well as the appropriation of elements of Christianity by Japanese who are unaffiliated with any of its organisational forms. While all of these expressions of Christianity deserve serious consideration, this essay will focus primarily on the new indigenous social forms that emerged from the encounter of Western churches and missionaries with Japanese culture.