General Conferance of the Protestant Missionaries of Japan, 1883; The Issue of Obstacles to the Spread of Christianity in Japan

Abstract

One year after Japan opened its ports to international trade in 1858, Western Protestant missionaries came to the country and started to spread Christianity in port cities. Missionaries carried out their activities in secrecy due to the prohibition of Christianity in Japan since 1639. As a result of diplomatic negotiations, the prohibition of Christianity in the country came to an end in 1873 and an important political obstacle to the activities of missionaries was removed. Until 1883, with the activities of health, education, language, etc. in the field they carried out, missionaries were able to break the prejudices of the Japanese towards Christianity. They laid the foundations of Christianity in Japan with the schools, hospitals and churches they established. Despite carrying out their activities during this process, the issues that made it difficult to understand Christianity in the country and prevented its spread became an important problem for them. These problems were discussed in detail at a meeting in Osaka in 1883, elected members from all the Protestant missionary communities in Japan came together. In this article, General Conferance of the Protestant Missionaries of Japan in 1883 is analyzed on the issue of obstacles to the spread of Christianity in Japan through the eyes of Western Protestant missionaries has been examined.

Keywords

• japan
• protestant missionaries
• Christianity
• Obstacles

1883 Osaka Protestan Misyonerleri Konferansı: Japonya’da Hristiyanlığın Yayılmasının Önündeki Engeller Konusu

Abstract

1858’de Japonya’nın limanlarını uluslararası ticarete açmasından bir yıl sonra Batılı Protestan misyonerler ülkeye gelerek liman kentlerde Hristiyanlığı yayma faaliyetlerine başlamıştır. Misyonerler, Japonya’da 1639’dan beri devam eden Hristiyanlık yasağından dolayı faaliyetlerini gizlilikle yürütmüştür. Yapılan diplomatik görüşmeler neticesinde 1873’te ülkedeki bütün Hristiyanlık yasağı son bulmuş ve misyonerlerin faaliyetlerinin önündeki önemli bir siyasi engel ortadan kalkmıştır. 1883 yılına kadar misyonerler, sağlık, eğitim, dil vb. alanlarda yürüttükleri faaliyetlerle, Japonların Hristiyanlığa yönelik önyargılarını kırabilmiştir. Kurdukları okul, hastane ve kiliselerle, Japonya’da Hristiyanlığın temellerini atmıştır. Bu süreç içerisinde faaliyetlerini yürütmelerine rağmen ülkede Hristiyanlığın anlaşılmasını zorlaştıran, yayılmasına engel olan durumlar onların önemli sorunu haline gelmiştir. Bu sorunlar, 1883’te Japonya’da bulunan tüm Protestan misyoner topluluklarından seçilen üyelerin Osaka’da bir araya geldiği konferansta detaylıca tartışılmıştır. Bu makalede 1883 Osaka Protestan Misyonerleri Konferansı analiz edilerek Batılı Protestan misyonerlerin gözünden Japonya’da Hristiyanlığın yayılmasının önündeki engeller konusu incelenmiştir.

Keywords

• japonya
• Protestan Misyonerleri
• Hristiyanlık
• Engeller

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