著者

中野 敬一

出版者

神戸女学院大学

雑誌

論集 (ISSN:03891658)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.59, no.2, pp.103-120, 2012-12

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Chiristianity was first introduced into Japan in 1549 by the Catholic missionary, Francis Xavier. However, Christians were persecuted quite strongly by the ruling forces of the time. By the mid 17th centuty, missionary work conducted in public had completely ceased to exist. Christianity was re-introduced into Japan in 1859. In the Meiji era various sects of Protestant and Catholic missionary groups from various contries, particularly from the United States, arrived in Japan once again and started their missionaty work. Missionaty groups introduced Japanese to Christian ideas of the other world (afterworld, the world beyond) and Japanese who became Christian believed what the missonaries taught. What kinds of ideas have Japanese accepted and developed? To know the ideas of the other world of Japanese converts in the Meiji era, we study sermons and articles by famous Japanese preachers (such as Jo Niijima, Masahisa Uemura, Kanzo Uchimura and so on), tracts written by missionaries, and hymns that Christians in Japan used in the Meiji era. Studying these materials, we could see some common characteristics of the ideas of the other world. The preachers or missinaries insist that there is a "Heaven" with God. In heaven, the deceased have peace and happiness, and can meet Got and the other dead who already were there. In particular, "to meet again" with family members or friends are significant words for hope in Heaven. The Japanese Christians who believed these ideas must have been comforted and given hope for their future. The important thing that we have to comfirm is that we could not see any specific image of Heaven or Hell. For example, they ded not talk about the form or shape of Heaven, or the condeition of the deceased.