Sekino, Yuji. Translated by Gary Fujino. "Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism: The Problem of American Christian Fundamentalism for Japanese Evangelicalism." (原理主義と福音主義 -- 米国キリスト教原理主義に見る日本の福音派の問題). Japan Evangelical Association Theological Commission Pamphlet 6 (May 2006): 17-48.
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IV. THEOLOGICAL DISPARITIES BETWEEN AMERICAN CHRISTIAN FUNDAMENTALISM AND JAPANESE EVANGELICALISM AND THE JAPANESE CONTEXT
IV.A. Foundational Doctrine (The Inerrancy of Scripture and Problems in Education)
In the foundational doctrines themselves, it can be said that there are virtually no disparities between American Christian fundamentalism and Japanese evangelicalism. This is natural as the great majority of Japanese evangelical denominations and churches were born out of the mission of American evangelicals after World War II. What became the problem was radicalized extremism and a literal hermeneutic for foundational doctrines was the view of the Bible and of the End Times. American Christian Fundamentalism took the position of “absolute inerrancy” concerning its view of the Bible. Coupled with dispensationalism it was characterized by an extremely literal hermeneutic which was applied to futuristic prophecies. But Japanese evangelicalism as a whole, based on the lessons of past controversies over Scripture, did not claim such a narrow position. Also, creation science which bases its scriptural hermeneutic on a view of absolute inerrancy of the Bible, is a serious concern for education in America and continues to be debated in local areas to this day but, in Japan, since Christian churches are a minority it has not become a radicalizing societal problem at the same level. Still, in order to avoid the evolutionistic educational system in Japan, Christian families and churches that practice Bible-based education through independent homeschooling or church schools have recently begun to appear.
The problem with creation science is the reality that it has been introduced and received uncritically, as it is, without fair debate as to whether to affirm or deny it, by the Japanese church as “a worldview and interpretation of Genesis that is faithful to the Bible.” The result that occurs when the evangelical church here is pressed with the choice between evolution or creation, is that (a belief) in evolution is used as a type of “litmus test” (lit., fumie) for orthodox, evangelical faith. Since there are no other options, there have up until now been no means by which creation science could be objectively and calmly evaluated. In Japan the evangelical Christian publications which are available and related to creationism and evolution almost all take the position for creation science. For example, adequately researched publications for an evangelical Christian to calmly investigate and evaluate evolution are quite sparse (Otani 2001), and dialogue in this field with society in general or the sciences in general has not materialized. Still, since arguments from differing positions have come out from within Japanese evangelicalism in recent years, such as Old Earth creationism and theistic evolution, the groundwork for healthy debate is being prepared, a trend that should be welcomed.
IV.B. Eschatology (Dispensationalism and Politics: the Connection to the View of the Nation)
Regardless of whether it is right or wrong, eschatological views of the Bible in America have had no little influence on how individuals view life, on how they view the world or on their political leanings. But it cannot be said that for evangelical denominations and churches in Japan, the majority stand upon dispensational doctrine. The direct connection of this theology to how politics and the state is viewed (by Christians) is minimal. On the other hand, there is a great inadequacy because of the fact that eschatology is rarely taken up as an issue by the local church for how we (should) view life, the world and the state. It is a important topic that the church should tackle from hereon. Evangelicalism as a whole is united in the belief of the certainty of Christ’s Second Coming.
However, with Left Behind and the series that followed it, as well as with publications by the representative evangelical publishing company, Word of Life Press, under the outward signboard of a literal biblical hermeneutic are quite a number of books based on one type of eschatology which stand dispensational theology (in many cases without an explanation or proviso). And the reality within the local church is that lay persons uncritically read these without knowing this.
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