Cooperative evangelist : Kagawa Toyohiko and his world, 1888-1960 / Bo Tao.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Tao, Bo, 1986- Author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Kagawa, Toyohiko, 1888-1960.

Kagawa, Toyohiko.

Kagawa, Toyohiko, 1888-1960--Influence.

Reformers--Japan--Biography.

Reformers.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xi, 330 pages) : illustrations, map

Place of Publication:

Honolulu : University of Hawaiʻi Press, [2025]

Summary:

"Cooperative Evangelist uncovers the extraordinary world of a Japanese man who was once described as the "Saint Francis" or the "Gandhi" of Japan. A renowned religious figure on the world stage, Kagawa Toyohiko (1888-1960) received wide acclaim for his work as a street preacher in the slums of Kobe as well as his espousal of non-violent methods of social reform. His reputation as a pacifist figure, however, rested uneasily with his wartime actions, which became increasingly supportive of the Japanese government and its expansionist policies. Reluctant to speak up against Japan's increasing aggression in the late 1930s, he emerged as a full-blown apologist during the Pacific War, appearing on several Radio Tokyo broadcasts as a propagandist defending the interests of state. Adopting a transnational approach that accounts for the rapid flow of information between Japan and the United States, Bo Tao examines the career of Kagawa as it unfolded within the context of the war, imperialism, and economic depression of the early to mid-twentieth century. Using official documents and personal correspondence that have received scant attention in previous works, Tao reveals, for the first time at this level of detail, the extent of Kagawa's cooperative relationship with the Japanese government, as well as the ways in which his idealized image was carefully constructed by his ardent missionary supporters. This book provides a window into the global dimensions of broader cultural shifts during the interwar period, such as the rise of Christian internationalism and the Depression-era popularity of cooperative economics. Offering a holistic and nuanced exploration of the tensions resulting from Kagawa's hybrid identity as a Japanese Christian, Cooperative Evangelist adds a new layer to our understanding of religion, empire, and politics in the shaping of social and international relations during the trans-WWII era"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Japanese Christian reformer

The making of a global Christian pacifist

Constructing God’s kingdom in the Japanese Empire

Cooperation and resistance under conditions of total war

The recovery of religion during the postwar occupation

The internationalist in a bipolar world.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on September 09, 2025).

Other Format:

Print version: Tao, Bo, 1986- Cooperative evangelist

ISBN:

9780824899707

0824899709

9780824899714

0824899717

9780824899721

0824899725

OCLC:

1528569934

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license