This study introduces Kitamori's concept of "the Pain of God" and provides an occasion to dialogue between a pioneering Japanese theologian and theologians interested in the theologia crucis. By "the Pain of God," Kitamori attempted to reorient the Christian account of God to the cross of Jesus Christ. As this expression had in the beginning a personal character but later became theological and critical, this study also follows the same line of development. / Part I explains how the notion of "the Pain of God" was formulated in Kitamori's personal life. His search for the certainty of faith culminated in a mystical encounter with the crucified Christ. Kitamori was convinced that through the crucified Christ God embraced him who, being "outside" of God, was therefore an enemy of God. This contradictory embrace was experienced by Kitamori as "the Pain of God." Part I explores the ways in which Kitamori tried to incorporate this insight into his own itinerary of faith and into his early theological education. / Part II shows how Kitamori elaborated a soteriological model based on the "pain of God" through critical engagement with Reformed thinkers, such as Calvin, Schleiermacher, and Barth. It traces his attempt to give the concept of the pain of God an axiomatical place in the doctrines of creation, justification and sanctification, and to explain the inner relation between the immediate love of the creator, the mediate love of Christ and the victorious love of the Spirit. / Part III turns to Kitamori's engagement with church and culture in Japan. Kitamori was convinced that all nations are invited to take part in the history of deepening and actualizing the message of the Gospel in and through their own culture. Regional contributions and limits must be taken in account according to an adequate criterion. This criterion is, according to Kitamori, the pain of God. His critique of the Non-church movement, and his analysis of leading Japanese novelists, provide two windows into his approach. / Part IV offers some critical evaluation. After examination of both the favorable and unfavorable receptions of Kitamori's theology, it asks to what extent Kitamori was influenced by Buddhism, by Nishida's philosophy and by Hegel. It also places Kitamori's ideas over against some contemporary thinkers on divine impassibility. Then it concludes with a brief recapitulation of his theological contribution.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.84463 |
| Date | January 2003 |
| Creators | Toru, Asakawa |
| Contributors | Farrow, Douglas (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Faculty of Religious Studies.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 002131456, proquestno: AAINQ98196, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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