Christianity and Imperialism in Modern Japan: Empire for God

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.

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

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 * Anderson's 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 *