Ideal Christianity [1910], an early essay by Imaoka Shin’ichiro [今岡信一良] (1881-1988)

Given that on Easter Sunday (yesterday) I looked at one of Imaoka Shin’ichiro’s [今岡信一良] liberal Christian essays, written just as he was ceasing to be a Congregationalist minister and about to enter into the Japanese Unitarian movement, I thought this was an appropriate moment to publish here on the blog another essay from the same period. [You can read many other essays by Imaoka-sensei at this link.] It’s fascinating to see how clearly he was already incorporating the “great sages like Śākyamuni, Confucius, and Socrates” as well as Islam, into his own religion/spirituality, and so was well on the way to articulating the creative, inquiring and liberative free-religious (jiyū shūkyō 自由宗教) position of his later years. 

 —o0o—

Ideal Christianity [1910]
1 January, Meiji 43 [1910], originally published in Christian World [『基督教世界』]

For those who believe that Christianity itself [基督教其者] is already an ideal religion [理想的宗教], the term “Ideal Christianity” [理想的基督教] might seem like a stumbling block [躓き]. However, as we see it, the very reason [道理] Christianity possesses an ideal nature is that it is never satisfied with its past or present state, but perpetually aspires [憧がれ行く] towards an ideal Christianity [理想的基督教]. If one traces the trajectory [経路] of Christian history [基督教の歴史]—how it emerged from Judaism [猶太教] and progressed [向上し行く] towards a “Religion of the Spirit” [聖霊教]—this reality [這般の消息] becomes immediately apparent. Christianity [基督教] is life in a state of development [発展し行く生命]. Its characteristic quality [本領] lies in this upward movement toward the ideal [理想].

The founder of Christianity [基督教の教祖] is Jesus [耶蘇], an historical figure [歴史的人物] from two millennia ago. His doctrines [教訓/主義] are contained within the New Testament [新約全書]. Consequently, some argue that Christianity [基督教] is immutable [千古不変]. Yet it is precisely such thinking that causes Christianity [基督教]—intended as an ideal and universal religion [理想的普遍的宗教]—to become a narrow [偏狭], conservative [保守], and stagnant [済度す可らざる] faith of a single time and place. To view it thus is to kill the life [生命を殺して] currently pulsing [躍動しつつある] within it and to create a fossilised version of the faith [一個の化石的基督教]. This renders meaningless the great fact [一大事実] of religious history [宗教史上]: that Christianity [基督教] evolved out of Judaism [猶太教] and has continued to develop dynamically [生々発展] for thousands of years. Admittedly, Jesus was an historical individual [歴史的人物] born in Judea [猶太国] two thousand years ago. Nevertheless, he is not the “Eternal Christ” [久遠の基督] who serves as the universal Saviour [救主] of humanity. Thus, he does not yet reach the essence [真髄] of the “God-Man” [神人基督] who defines Christianity [基督教]. If our faith were merely a religion centred on the historical Jesus [耶蘇], it would have declined after his death, and those who lived before him or never knew him would have been denied entry [教]. In reality, Christianity [基督教] only achieved true greatness [盛大なる事を得た] after the death of Christ [基督]. To suggest that all who lived before or without knowledge of him were lost [悉く亡びた] is a total lack of common sense [没常識]. As 1 Corinthians 10:4 [哥林多前書第十章第四節] makes clear: “Our ancestors [我等の先祖] all drank the same spiritual drink [霊の飲物]; for they drank from the spiritual Rock [霊の磐] that followed them; and that Rock [磐] was Christ [基督].” They, too, were appropriately saved [救はれて居る]. This reveals a profound truth [一大事実] perceptible only to the spiritual eye [霊眼]: the historical Christ [歴史的基督] is underpinned by the Eternal Christ [久遠の基督]. At the foundation [根底に] of the historical lies the universal [普遍の基督]. In the Bible [聖書], what is called the “Holy Spirit” [聖霊] is truly this eternal and universal Christ [久遠普遍の基督]. To imagine the Spirit [聖霊] as descending like a dove [鳩], or as a source of “tongues” [方言] and magic [魔術], is a shallow and puerile notion [浅薄幼稚なる思想]. The Holy Spirit [聖霊] is the “Christ-soul” [基督魂]—the spiritual Christ [霊的基督] who has transcended the bonds [束縛] of the flesh [肉] (time and space [時間空間]). This Eternal and Universal Christ [久遠普遍の基督] is the Lord [主] of all humanity throughout every age [万民万代]. In his eternity [久遠], his presence extends unobstructed [縦貫して] through the vertical axis of history—from Judaism [猶太教] and Christianity [基督教] to the Religion of the Spirit [聖霊教]. In his universality [普遍], he reaches out unobstructed [横貫して] across the horizontal breadth of all faiths—centring upon Christianity [基督教], yet permeating Buddhism [仏教], Islam [回々教], and Confucianism [儒教] alike. According to the profound prologue [劈頭] of the Gospel of John [約翰伝], this eternal and universal Christ (Logos [ロゴス]) manifested [顕はれて] as the universe itself [宇宙万有]—the self-realisation [自家実現] of God—and became the light [光明] within the human heart [人心]. Thus, the Eternal Christ [久遠普遍の基督] does not merely descend from above; he is the Internal Christ [内的基督] who enlightens [啓発], liberates [解放], and saves [救済] us from within [衷内].

Christ [基督], contrasting his historical ministry [自家一生の伝道] with the guidance of the Spirit [聖霊], declared: “I have spoken these things to you in parables [譬喩]; the time is coming when I will show you plainly [明かに示す] concerning the Father... for the Father himself loves you” (John 16:25–27 [約翰伝十六章廿五―廿七]). This reveals a deep sacred intent [聖旨]: that the historical Christ [歴史的基督] is indirect [間接]—a story of the past [昔話]—whereas the Eternal Christ [久遠の基督] is direct [直接] and present [現在]. Grasping this allows us to taste the true meaning of Christ’s [基督] words: “My departure is for your benefit [益],” and “You shall do greater things than I.” This makes the heart leap [心跳どめ難き者]. Our goal, therefore, is not a “return to Christ,” but to take a step further [更に一歩を進めて] and realise Christ [基督を実現する]. Paul [パウロ], Augustine [アウガスチン], and Luther [ルステル]—all these individuals experienced [実験せる] this profound reality [箇中の消息].

Some argue that if the Saviour [救主] resides within us [自家衷心], external religion [心外の宗教] is unnecessary. This is a one-sided argument [一を知って二を知らぬ議論]. While the Eternal Saviour [久遠の救主] resides [厳臨] in our hearts [衷心], we cannot perceive this Internal Christ [内的基督] directly—just as one cannot see one’s own face [自分の顔] without a mirror [鏡]. To see our true selves [真実の姿], we require a “bright mirror” [明鏡]. Our friends [友人先輩], heroes [豪傑], and the great sages [聖人君子] like Śākyamuni [釈迦], Confucius [孔子], and Socrates [ソクラテス] are all mirrors [鏡] for us. In the case of Lord Kusunoki [楠公], the term “mirror” [鏡] is not just a shallow word for a model [模範]; looking at him through that mirror is precisely looking at ourselves. However, in Christ [基督], humanity has found the clearest mirror [明鏡]. When we face Christ [基督], we see him and our own true selves simultaneously. Those who seek themselves without Christ [基督] are fools [愚者] trying to see their faces without a mirror [鏡]. Conversely, those who look at Christ [基督] but fail to recognise their own reflection are simpletons [間抜け] who stare at a mirror and fail to realise that the image looking back is their own [毛頭気付かぬ]. The Johannine view [約翰伝] is profound because it unifies the Eternal Christ [久遠の基督] with the historical Christ [歴史的基督]. The Holy Spirit [聖霊] was not a sudden arrival at Pentecost [ペンテコステ]; it was a presence already latent [潜んで居た] within the disciples, awakened [煥発した] by the tragedy [悲劇] of the Cross [十字架上].

In short [要するに], our Saviour [我等の救主] is the living, eternal Christ [普遍久遠なる基督] working here and now; the mere historical Christ [歴史的基督] is insufficient [与らない]. Shallow beliefs [浅薄なる考], such as awaiting a physical Christ [肉体の基督] to return upon the clouds [雲に乗り来る], arise because one cannot be satisfied with a deceased historical figure [死せる歴史的基督]. History shows that no such physical Christ [肉の基督] has reappeared. While searching for Christ in the past or the future—hesitating and wavering [逡巡躊躇し]—the human spirit [人の霊] is lost [亡びて仕舞ふ]. The author of John [約翰伝記者] wisely identified the Second Coming [再臨] and Resurrection [復活] with the descent of the Holy Spirit [聖霊の降臨] and the living Christ [活ける基督] present here and now. Nevertheless, we continue to venerate [崇拝] the historical Christ [歴史的基督], for only through him can we worship [崇拝] the Eternal Christ [久遠の基督].

Although this “Theory of Ideal Christianity” [理想的基督教論] is incomplete [不備], I shall be satisfied [余は満足する] if I have clarified its central issue [中心問題]: the Eternal Christ [久遠の基督]. I await the corrections [叱正] of the learned [大方識者].