Abstract

Utilizing participant observation into Japanese meditation practices along with an investigation into primary sources and previous studies, this paper investigates the incorporation of meditation practices in Christian churches in Japan. Asian meditation practices are often associated with monastic commitment, social renunciation, and physical austerity. These perceived characteristics often do not relate well to lay Christian principles of social engagement and physical prudence and hence formal meditation practices are rare and/or marginal in many denominations. In the nineteenth century, when Christian evangelism returned to Japan, a new form of meditative practice was evolving among lay organizations and new religious movements. Containing a syncretic blend of Confucian principles and Zen meditation, these groups utilized meditation as a path to self-cultivation and moral development. Subsequently, these new meditation practices became more palatable to Christian movements as they assimilated to Japanese culture and society. Today, the influences of these groups remain and many Zen Buddhist organizations adjust meditation practices to meet the social and familial needs of their lay memberships. Many indigenous Christian movements as well as some Catholic and Protestant congregations have added meditation to their religious observances. The therapeutic and spiritual benefits may justify the expansion of meditation practices in Christian organizations beyond Japan.