Christianity and Imperialism in Modern Japan: Empire for God

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Description

Christianity and Imperialism in Modern Japan explores how Japanese Protestants engaged with the unsettling changes that resulted from Japan's emergence as a world power in the early 20th century. Through this analysis, the book offers a new perspective on the intersection of religion and imperialism in modern Japan. Emily Anderson reassesses religion as a critical site of negotiation between the state and its subjects as part of Japan's emergence as a modern nation-state and colonial empire. The book shows how religion, including its adherents and the state's attempts to determine acceptable belief, is a necessary subject of study for a nuanced understanding of modern Japanese history.

Reviews

Anderson uses sources such as personal notebooks and diaries to great effect ... A solidly researched and sympathetically written work of scholarship. * American Historical Review *
Anderson portrays a fascinating journey of interwoven lives and dreams on a sweeping scale ... manag[ing] to capture the often overlooked Christian dimension of imperial Japan. * English Historical Review *
[W]ell-researched and engaging ... [A] thought-provoking and interesting book that deserves a wide audience among both those interested in the intellectual and religious history of Meiji and Taisho Japan and specialists in colonial and imperial studies. * Monumenta Nipponica *
Andersons research provides numerous insights into Christian history in Japan before 1945 [She] has given us a well-researched and original investigation into a part of Japanese history too long neglected. * Japan Review *

Author Bio

Emily Anderson is Assistant Professor of History at Washington State University, USA.