Uchimura Kanzo on Jews and Zionism

Uchimura Kanzo on Jews and Zionism Doron B. COHEN UCHIMURA KANZO WAS AN ardent Christian. the Jewish people and on their revival move His faith in salvation through Jesus Christ ment-Zionism. was the focal point of his life, and according to him everything-from personal conduct UCHIMURA AND RELIGIONS OTHER to national politics, from international rela THAN CHRISTIANITY tions to literary merit-had to be viewed through, and judged by, firm Christian stan According to his own testimony, Uchimura dards. At the same time Uchimura was, in regarded religion very seriously from early his own unique way, an ardent Japanese na childhood. In his English autobiography he tionalist. In opposition to the Japanese gov tells of his respect for, and fear of, the many ernment most of his life as a firm liberal and gods of Japan, a fear that m ade his conver an unwavering pacifist, he was much sion to Christianity an intimidating, guilt different from how we usually portray a Jap filled experience.1 But the conversion was anese nationalist. But Uchimura strongly also a liberating experience, and as his believed that the combination of Yamato Christian faith grew firmer he felt free to dis damashii (Japanese spirit) and Christianity regard the local deities. Nevertheless, he would save the world. Only the Japanese seems to always have regarded Buddhism were equipped to combine the best of the with much respect, as a part of the Japanese West and of the East; only they were tuned heritage as well as for its own merits. While to the fine spirituality of Christianity. · it is probably true that "Uchimura made sur As such a believer in Christianity and prisingly few references to traditional Japan Japan, how did Uchimura regard other reli ese beliefs,''2 it is also true that some of those gions and peoples? This is a broad subject, references were very meaningful. In an arti and this paper will cover only some aspects cle entitled "Christianity and Buddhism,'' he of it. After looking briefly into Uchimura's says that there were no essential differences attitude towards Japanese religions, we will between the fundamental teachings of Jesus look more closely into what he had to say on and Buddha.3 Uchimura also had a particu larly strong regard for Nicheren about which he often wrote with admiration. Still, Uchimura says that while both religions Doran B. COHEN graduated from Hebrew Uni offer salvation by faith, Christianity's faith is versity, Jerusalem, with a double major in Jewish grounded upon firmer ethical bases and is Philosophy and East Asian Studies. He first came therefore preferable. 4 At the same time he to Japan to study Japanese religion, particularly bitterly attacked foreign missionaries for Christianity in modern Japan, and is now in the their disrespect for local traditions and their M.A. program at the School of Theology, insistence on total conversion. His refer Doshisha University, Kyoto. ences to Shinto are less frequent and he 111 JAPAN CHRISTIAN REVIEW 58 1992 seems to respect it far less than he did Bud Ephraim Levine with the same title Judaism. dhism, especially since it became a state re Both books, typical of their time, are some ligion. 5 The best in Japanese tradition he what apologetic, striving to draw an appeal found in Bushido, which he, like his friend ing picture-Judaism as a spiritual religion Nitobe Inaz6, depicted as a form of chivalry. with a mission of hope-for the sake of non Buddhism should naturally have at Jewish readers. Uchimura was clearly im tracted Uchimura's attention, but what pressed by parts of those books, and he used about religions outside Japan, such as Juda some of the information contained in them ism? Uchimura probably had no opportu in his later writings, but he also ignored large nity to experience Judaism as a living faith, parts that did not suit his purpose or his be or even to encounter many Jews. There were liefs. Another book Uchimura read was hardly any Jews in Japan at that time, and al Madison C. Peters' Justice to the Jew: The though he spent a few years in America, Story of What He Has Done for the World most of the time he was secluded in Am (New York: 1908). This is another type of herst College (where he also stayed during apologetic in which the author specifies the school vacations), so it is doubtful whether contribution of the Jews-generally and in he could meet Jews there. If he had such en dividually-to society (mostly American). counters, he did not mention them (unlike As he did in other cases, Uchimura seems to encounters with Unitarians, for example, have used some information given here which he did mention).6 But since a great (about the achievements of the Jews in sci part of his life revolved around the Bible, he ence, for example), while ignoring other in had to ask himself questions concerning the formation that was contradictory to what he Jews and their faith. The Hebrew Bible (par believed (e.g. Jews as soldiers, since Uchi ticularly the writings of Paul) was his main mura exalted the Jews as pacifists). source on this subject. There are a few more books on Judaism in He also read material other than the Bible, Uchimura's library, some of which he read as we can learn by examining his private li much later after he had already written brary now kept in Sapporo University. This what he had to say on the subject.7 No doubt collection includes mainly books owned by he also read other material, which is not in Uchimura in languages other than Japanese. the library, as well as Japanese books and ar Uchimura often wrote inside the books the ticles. By the 1920s there were already sev date on which he read them, and he would eral such publications on Judaism and underline paragraphs and jot down remarks Zionism in Japanese, including some anti on points that interested him. Thus it is pos Semitic material. 8 sible to verify that Uchimura indeed read several books on Judaism by Jewish and Geographic-cultural writings Christian authors. In a series of articles entitled "K6koku As we shall see below, 1918 was the year shidan" (History of nations), published from in which Uchimura wrote most extensively September 1899 to June 1900 in the maga about the Jews; early that year he read at zine Tokyo Dokuritsu Zasshi, Uchimura least two books on the subject. First he read wrote at length about the Jews. Chapters 13 Israel Abrahams' Judaism on the last page of to 15 of the series were entitled "Yudaya" which he wrote: "Read through in one read (Judea). 9 Uchimura's view expressed in this ing. Feb. 8. 1918. A very useful and sugges series is in accord with his views in other tive book." On February 22 he read a book by publications of the same nature, such as his 112 COHEN: Uchimura Kanzo on jews and Zionism book Chijinron (Earth and Man), published mura's historical methodology, which was during the same decade. In these works acceptable during his time. A few points Uchimura expounded world history from a should be highlighted, however: Uchimura's geographical-teleological point of view, rely firm belief in what to him were clear-cut his ing heavily on the work of Karl Ritter and torical facts, and to which he would cling for Arnold Guyot.10 The gist of the theory is that the rest of his life; his way of viewing history physical characteristics of the earth through traditional Christian beliefs and lit influenced the development of civilizations, eral understanding of the Bible; and his ba and that through this knowledge it is possi sically positive view of the Jewish people, in ble to predict their future course. spite of their rejection of Jesus, as an instru Uchimura's chapters on Judea also rely on ment and vehicle in carrying out God's pur Ritter. The first of the three chapters con poses, not as people living by their own cerns geography; Judea lies between three right. continents and receives some of its natural It should be remembered, though, that ac features from all three. It is a small but cording to U chimura every nation, including unique country whose climate and shape the Japanese, had its place in God's plan. are extremely diverse. Knowing that, it is Still, his way of thinking was not really de easier to understand the history of the Jews. terministic, because he believed people The second chapter is about the people; they should live up to the role designated to them were Semites, and therefore emotional and by God. If man was too weak or stubborn, also simple (unlike the more complex plans could go wrong and not materialize. Greeks). For the Semites, only one God and That said, one still feels that U chimura' s de one nation were possible. The nature and piction of the Jews as an unwitting instru climate were effective in shaping the people; ment in God's plan is more consistent than the prophets would not have been the same in the case of other nations. if not for the desert. The combined influence of three continents was a lucky one; it made Patriotism and pacifism them cosmopolitan, enabling them to suc ceed wherever they went. The third chapter Biblical interpretation occupies a great part deals mainly with faith. Other nations had of Uchimura's writings. In 1901 he pub also believed in one national god, but the lished, in his newly founded magazine, Jews were the first to believe in one exclu Seisho no Kenkyu (Biblical Studies), a com sive God.

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