- Uchimura Kanzō
was a
Japanese author ,Christian evangelist, and the founder of theNonchurch Movement (Mukyōkai ) ofChristianity in theMeiji period andTaishō period Japan .Early life
Uchimura was born in
Edo , and exhibited a talent for languages from a very early age: he started to study theEnglish language at the age of 11. In 1877, he gained admission to theSapporo Agricultural College (present-dayHokkaido University ), where the language of instruction was mostly English.Prior to Uchimura's arrival,
William S. Clark , a graduate ofAmherst College , had spent the year assisting the Japanese government in establishing the college. While his primary role was to teach agricultural technology, Clark was a committed lay Christianmissionary who introduced his students to the Christian faith throughBible classes. All of his students converted and signed the "Covenant of Believers in Jesus", committing themselves to continue studying the Bible and to do their best to live moral lives. Clark returned to theUnited States after one year, but Uchimura felt his influence through the small Covenant group that was left behind. Under considerable pressure from his "senpai " (先輩, a term for senior peers), Uchimura signed the Covenant during his first year at the College at the age of sixteen and went on to receivebaptism from aMethodist missionary in 1878.Dissatisfaction with the mission church, however, led Uchimura and his Japanese cohorts to establish an independent church in
Sapporo . This experiment turned out to be a precursor to what is now called theNonchurch Movement . Through Clark's teaching and example, this small group believed that they could practice and live an authentic life of faith without the dependence on an institution orclergy .Overseas career
Uchimura departed for the
United States following a brief and unhappy first marriage in 1884. He was first befriended by Mr. and Mrs. Wister Morris, aQuaker couple, who helped him find employment shortly after his arrival inPennsylvania . The faith andpacifism of these Quakers made a lasting impression upon Uchimura.Following eight months of stressful work at a
mental hospital in [http://www.elwyn.org/ Elwyn] , Pennsylvania, Uchimura resigned and traveled throughNew England , enteringAmherst College in September 1885.Julius Hawley Seelye , the president of Amherst College, became his spiritual mentor, and encouraged him to attend theHartford Theological Seminary . After completing his second bachelors degree (B.S.) in general science at Amherst, he enrolled in Hartford Seminary, but quit after only one semester, disappointed by theological education. He returned to Japan in 1888.Japanese religious leader
After his return to Japan, Uchimura worked as a teacher, but was fired or forced to resign in several instances over his uncompromising position toward authorities or foreign missionary bodies who controlled the schools. The most famous such incident was his refusal to bow deeply (i.e., "worshipping") to the portrait of
Emperor Meiji and theImperial Rescript on Education in the formal ceremony held at the First Higher School (then preparatory division to theTokyo Imperial University ). Realizing that his religious beliefs were incompatible with a teachingcareer , he turned to writing, becoming senior columnist for the popular newspaper, "Yorozu Choho". Uchimura's fame as a popular columnist became solid as he launched vocal opposition against Ichibei Furukawa over one of modern Japan's first industrial pollution cases involving Furukawa'sAshio Copper Mine .His career as a journalist failed as well, largely due to his outspokenly pacifist views during the
Russo-Japanese War . He started publishing and selling his own monthly magazine, "Seisho no Kenkyu" (Bible Studies) and supported himself by addressing weekly audiences of 500–1000 people in downtown Tokyo in lectures on the Bible. His followers came to agree with Uchimura’s attitude that an organized church was actually a hindrance to the Christian faith, and Christian sacraments, such asbaptism and communion, are not essential to salvation. Uchimura named his Christian position as "Mukyokai " or Nonchurch Movement. Uchimura's movement attracted many students in Tokyo who later became influential figures in academia, industry, and literature. His "prophetic" views on religion, science, politics, and social issues became influential beyond his small group of followers.His writings in English include: "Japan and the Japanese" (1894) and "How I became a Christian" (1895), and reflect his struggle to develop a Japanese form of Christianity. In his lifetime, Uchimura became famous overseas. His major English-language works were translated into numerous languages. After his death, however, Uchimura's reputation grew more, as his followers produced an enormous amount of literature.
ource
1 [http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~hw8m-mrkm/nonch/daylife/00/self-history.html Self History]
References
*Howes, John F. "Japan's Modern Prophet: Uchimura Kanzo, 1861–1930". UBC Press; New Edition (2006), ISBN 0774811463.
*Caldarola, Carlo "Christianity, The Japanese Way". Leiden: E.J. Brill (1979)External links
* [http://www.findagrave.net/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6201059&pt=Kanzo%20Uchimura Find a Grave bio of him]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20041022075358/http://wwwamy.hi-ho.ne.jp/k-komatsu/uchimura-e.htm Kanzou Uchimura] (brief biography with grave's pic) (retrieved from theInternet archive )
* [http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~hw8m-mrkm/home_en.html Non-church Christian Home]
* [http://www-lib.icu.ac.jp/Uchimura/index-e.htm ICU Uchimura Kanzo Archives]
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