Throughout Christianity's tumultuous history in Japan, there have been several traditions which have stood independent from Western missionary churches. Two such traditions are the Kakure Kirishitan (“Hidden Christians”) and Uchimura Kanzo's Non-Church Movement. Both have interpreted Christianity in ways that make sense within their own historical and cultural contexts. Japan's Hidden Christians were forced by strict persecution to practice their faith in secret, where they developed ways to disguise their practices. Meanwhile, at the dawn of a new era of religious freedom in Japan, Uchimura Kanzo formed a new way to practice Christianity that both integrated Japanese traditions such as bushido while rejecting typical structures of church hierarchy and organization. Through this project I hope to give a voice and proper agency to the often overlooked indigenized ways of practicing Christianity. Japanese Christian communities have forged their own religious practices that force us to expand our understanding of what it means to be Christian and what Christianity can look like in the lives of everyday people. The focus shifts away from church authorities and dogmatic proclamations, thus empowering and recognizing the authority of lay practitioners to make their own meaning from the Christian tradition.

The Meiji era (1868-1912) in Japanese history was characterized by the extensive adoption of Western institutions, technology, and customs. The dramatic changes that took place caused the era’s intellectuals to ponder Japan's position within the larger global context. The East-West binary was a particularly important part of the discourse as the intellectuals analyzed and criticized the current state of affairs and offered their visions of Japan’s future. This dissertation examines five Meiji intellectuals who had very different orientations and agendas: Fukuzawa Yukichi, an influential philosopher and political theorist; Shimoda Utako, a pioneer of women's education; Uchimura Kanzō, a Christian leader; Okakura Kakuzō, an art critic; and Kōtoku Shūsui, a socialist. Also considered here are related concepts such as "civilization (bunmei)," "barbarism," and "imperialism." Close examination of the five intellectuals' use of the East-West binary reveals that, despite their varied goals, they all placed Japan as the leader of the Easternworld. Collectively, Meiji intellectuals’ use of the East-West binary elevated both East and West, while largely deemphasizing the middle part of Eurasia and "South," such as Africa and South America.

本稿では近代日本の平和思想の原型とも呼ばれる内村鑑三と、彼を徹底的に継承した矢内原忠雄の平和思想の具体像を確認しその意味を明らかにしようとした。これらの思想は国家に対する無条件的•絶対的服従が求められた時代の中で、キリスト教信仰に基づく「良心の自由」による生を送るようにし、さらに神から与えられた使命によって現実を批判し、宗教的信念による普遍的倫理実践の姿勢を引き出した。 / In this paper, I tried to clarify the peaceful thought of Uchimura Kanzo who is referred to as a model of peace thought in modern Japan and Yanaihara Tadao who succeeded to Uchimura's thought thoroughly. They acted out of religious conviction. And that means they lived under their "freedom of conscience" which is predicated upon the Christian faith. As a result, they criticized the reality of war and national policy and kept their universal ethics through the power of religion during their lifetime. / 博士(神学) / Doctor of Theology / 同志社大学 / Doshisha University