Inculturation and the Roman Catholic Church in Japan
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.13169/decohori.3.0091 |
| Published date | 01 January 2017 |
| Date | 01 January 2017 |
| Pages | 91-123 |
| Author | Alec R. LeMay |
ISSN 2545-8728!
eISSN 2422-6343
horizontes!
decoloniales
Número 3!
Año 2017
Inculturation and the Roman
Catholic Church in Japan
Alec R. LeMay
Bunkyo University
Resumen
La Iglesia Católica Romana es quizás uno de los grupos étnicamente más
diversos en Japón. Con casi la mitad de sus miembros nacidos en el
extranjero, practicar el multiculturalismo se ha convertido en un
imperativo religioso para esta iglesia. A través de cuatro secciones, este
artículo ofrece un breve bosquejo de la historia japonesa, un análisis de
dos conceptos teológicos de la trinidad y la inculturación, y cómo éstos se
aplican a los temas contemporáneos del multiculturalismo en Japón. El
rastreo de la inculturación a lo largo de la historia católica romana de
Japón revela la relación cambiante que Dios mantiene con esta iglesia
étnicamente diversa.
Palabras clave: Incultura ción, Iglesia Católica Romana de Japón,
Multiculturalismo, Inmigración.
Resumo
A Igreja Católica Romana é talvez um dos grupos mais etnicamente
diversificados no Japão. Com quase metade de seus membros nascidos no
estrangeiro, praticar o multiculturalismo tornou-se um imperativo
religioso para esta igreja. Através de quatro seções, este artigo fornece um
breve esboço da história japonesa, uma análise de dois conceitos
teológicos da trindade e da inculturação, e como estes se aplicam a
questões contemporâneas do multiculturalismo no Japão. O rastreamento
da inculturação em toda a história católica romana do Japão revela o
relacionamento mutável que Deus detém com esta igreja etnicamente
diversificada.
Palavras-chave: Inc ultu raçã o, Igre ja C atólica Roma na d o J apão ,
Multiculturalismo, Imigração.
Horizontes Decoloniales 3 (2017): pp. 91-123
!91
ISSN 2545-8728!
eISSN 2422-6343
horizontes!
decoloniales
Número 3!
Año 2017
Alec R. LeMay ! Roman Catholic Church in Japan
Abstract
The Roman Catholic Church is perhaps one of the most ethnically diverse
group in Japan. With nearly half of its members being foreign-born,
practicing multiculturalism has become a religious imperative for this
church. Through four sections, this article provides a brief sketch of
Japanese history, an analysis of two theological concepts of the trinity and
incu ltur atio n, and how th ese app ly to cont emporar y i ssue s o f
multiculturalism in Japan. Tracing inculturation throughout Japan’s
Roman Catholic history reveals the changing relationship God holds with
this ethnically diverse church.
Keywords: I ncul tura tion , Ro ma n Ca th olic C hu rch of J ap an ,
Multiculturalism, Immigration.
About Alec R. LeMay
Tenured Lecturer at Bunkyo University, Saitama Prefecture Japan. He
holds a Ph.D. in Area Studies from Sophia University (2014), a MA in
Systematic Theology from Doshisha University (2008) and a Masters of
Art in Ministry from a Multicultural Church from the Franciscan School
of Theology (2005), and a BA in Catholic Studies from DePaul University
(2000). His areas of research are immigration and religious studies,
sociology of religion, and theology. He has lived in Japan continuously
since 2005.
Cita recomendada de este artículo!
Alec R. LeMay (2017). «Inculturation and the Roman Catholic Church in
Japan». Horizontes Decoloniales 3: pp. 91–123. [Revista digital]. Disponible
en:
mm de aaaa].
Este obra está bajo una Licencia Creative Commons!
Atribución-NoComercial-NoDerivadas 3.0
!92
ISSN 2545-8728!
eISSN 2422-6343
horizontes!
decoloniales
Número 3!
Año 2017
Alec R. LeMay ! Roman Catholic Church in Japan
Introduction
The stir caused by the Vatican Council II (1963-1965)
pushed talk of faith and culture into the theological
limelight. Especially provocative has been how local churches
have interpreted the documents Gaudium et Spes and Lumen
Gentium (Pope Paul VI, 1964) —hereinafter cited as «GS» and
«L G» — as a r ecipe f or great er incul tu r ation a nd
multiculturalism. In the Roman Catholic Church in Japan—
hereinafter cited as «RCCJ»—clergy and those in authority
have been at a loss trying to «Japanize» and «diversify» the
gospel at first from Rome, and then from Japanese Roman
Catholics.
In recent years, it seems that the talk of population decline
coupled with an aging population has sent both Japan and
the RCCJ into a frenzy. The later to a greater extent than the
former has been forced to deal with foreign-born Roman
Catholics as half of its nearly one million members are not
Japanese. For the RCCJ, migrants coming from Brazil, Peru,
and the Philippines undoubtedly mean an increase in young
Ro m an C ath o l ic m emb e r shi p. H owe v e r, wi th t h e
participation of these foreigners comes a heavy responsibility
for the RCCJ to change its very identity in response to the
call to inculturate the gospel into the local setting.
Accommodating foreign Roman Catholics is more than just
being cordial or being a good host. It is about recognizing
other cultures as being part of the Roman Catholic Church
on earth and accepting them as genuine members not because it
is what popularity demands, but because doing so is a
theological imperative rooted in Roman Catholic theology.
The following four-part article delineates the history of
Christianity in Japan from its initial encounter to the present
controversy with multiculturalism. Historical background
information has been provided to buttress the theological
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