Abstract
This paper explores Christian-Muslim relations in Meiji Period (1868-1912) Japan by focusing on the descriptions and evaluations of Muslims and Islam by contemporary Christian writers. Meiji period Christian thought vis-a-vis Muslims and Islam was influenced by European scholarship, which had come to view Mohammad as a great historical figure and Islam as a potential ally to Christianity. Nevertheless, Christian reflections on Islam in Meiji Japan were also influenced by Japanese understandings that both the Japanese and Muslims (Turks, Arabs etc.) were linked by their Asianness. The paper explores the roles that these influences had on Christian-Muslim relations as seen in the work of Kanzō Uchimura, Gorō Takahashi, and Zanka Togawa amongst others.
Presenters
James MorrisAssistant Professor, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Religious Commonalities and Differences
KEYWORDS
Christian-Muslim Relations, Christianity, Islam, World Christianity, Japan, Japanese History
