Unitarianism in America: A History of its Origin and DevelopmentCooke, George Willis
History
Unitarianism in America: A History of its Origin and Development
Cooke, George Willis
Unitarianism -- United States
villages, day-schools in four, and religious circles meeting in eight or
nine others. This mission is now being supported by the English Unitarians.
[Sidenote: The Beginnings in Japan.]
After the death of Mr. Dall it was not found desirable to continue his
educational work, and the missionary activities in India naturally came
under the jurisdiction of the British Unitarian Association. At the same
time, Japan offered an inviting field for missionary effort, and one not
hitherto occupied by Unitarians. In 1884 a movement began in that country,
looking to the introduction of a rational Christianity, the leader being
Yukichi Fukuzawa, a prominent statesman, head of the Keiogijiku University
and editor of the leading newspaper. In 1886 Fumio Yano, after a visit to
England, took up the same mission, and urged the adoption of Christianity
as a moral force in the life of the nation. The latter interpreted
Unitarianism as being the form of Christianity needed in Japan, and
strongly urged its acceptance. Other prominent men joined with these two in
commending a rational Christianity to their countrymen. Not long afterwards
the American Unitarian Association was asked to establish a mission in that
country. In 1887 Rev. Arthur M. Knapp was sent to Japan to investigate the
situation, and in the spring of 1889 he returned to report the results of
his inquiries. He had; been welcomed; by the leading men, such as the
Marquis Tokujawa and Kentaro Kaneko, who opened to him many avenues of
influence. He had written for the most important newspapers, had come into
personal contact with the leading men of all parties, had lectured; on many
occasions to highly educated audiences, and had opened a wide-reaching
correspondence.
On his return to Japan, in 1889, Mr. Knapp was prepared to begin systematic
work in behalf of rational Christianity. It was not his purpose, however,
to seek to establish Unitarianism there as the basis of a new Japanese
sect, but to diffuse it as a leaven for the moral and spiritual elevation
of the people of Japan. "The errand of Unitarianism in Japan," said Mr.
Knapp to the Japanese, "is based upon the familiar idea of the sympathy of
religions. With the conviction that we are the messengers of distinctive
and valuable truths which have not yet been emphasized, and that, in
return, there is much in your faith and life which to our harm we have not
emphasized, receive us not as theological propagandists, but as messengers
of the new gospel of human brotherhood in the religion of man."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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