Today we speak with Tsuji Sensei, a 33 year old pastor about a contextualized theological education delivery system, felt needs of Japanese young people, and cooperation between pastors and missionaries, Also Kohei joins us, and we ask the audience, 'what do you do with Judas?'

Jon checks a sample gospel presentation for potential contextual difficulties with a Japanese teacher. Topics discussed include: 

1. Original Sin 

2. the gap between a good God and bad people 

3. Substitution  

4. The Afterlife 

5. Forgiveness

Dr. Kai Akagi gives an overview of the Sapporo Band, a group the first generation of protestants in Japan including Kanzo Uchimura and Inazo Nitobe (author of Bushido).

Dr. Kai Akagi joins us again for a second round of first generation protestants in Japan, as we take a look at the Kumamoto band, Ebina Danjo and the beginning of Doshisha University. Also, a fighting Samurai woman who was the first 'Christian bride' in Japanese history!

Want a college level Japanese church history lesson? Kai adjuncts at various universities and seminaries in Japan, and has taught Japanese Church history at Sophia University. Today, Kai talks about the early Japanese protestant 'bands' of Christians popping up in various places, and focuses on the 'Yokohama band' and the first protestant church in Japan.

In this episode Jon chats with Kohei, a Japanese man who has spent about half of his life in Japan, and half overseas. He is currently a missionary to Japan, sent from churches in the States. Kohei shares some thoughts on what influenced him to become a Christian, and his impression of the church in Japan after coming to Christ overseas (but through Japanese influences). 

Mentions:

Muira Ayako, Freezing Point, Shiokari Pass, The Wind is Howling (Japanese Christian Novels, avaialable in Japanese and English)

Tondera House no Daibouken トンデラハウスの大冒険　Japanese Christian Anime from '82-'83 about two kids and a robot, very similar to the old Superbook cartoons.

In Episode 2 we look at various portions of Kosuke Koyama's Water Buffalo Theology

Welcome to JCATS! Japanese Contextual and Theological Studies, 日本人から聞く日本のキリスト教、Learning about Japanese Christianity from Japanese people. This podcast exists to search out contextualization practices and ideas from Japanese literature, history and conversations with Japanese people, to help missionaries present Christianity in a non-foreign way. In this first episode we discuss what is contextualization and why it's important in Japan, as well as preview some sources to be featured in future episodes. Glad to have you with us!