J-CATS Japanese Contextual and Theological Studies

Christianity Made in Japan, by Mark Mullins: https://uhpress.hawaii.edu/title/christianity-made-in-japan-a-study-of-indigenous-movements/ What makes a Christian movement indigenous? Today I look at the first three indigenous movements detailed by Mark Mullins, the Non-Church Movement (Uchimura), The Way (Matsumura), and Christ Heart Church (Kawai). Older movements that mixed Bushido, Confucianism,...

Today we chat with Kengoro Goto, Old Testament scholar and leader of the online Japanese Christian community 'Lights Church', which can be accessed here: https://lights-church.com/en/home-2/

I speak with Artist and Missionary Roger Lowther about Ethnodoxology, contexutal worship in Japan, Music, Arts, and the Japan Consultation on Arts and Music in Missions (JCAMM) which will be held 5/22-23, and 5/25-27 in Tokyo, please come if you are able! Also, give Roger's podcast 'Art Life Faith' a listen. JCAMM - https://www.communityarts.jp/jcammRoger's website - https://www.ro...

Just a fun episode. What is Bonenkai? Mostly just cathartic ramblings with Jon and friend of the show Joe. If this isn't your thing return for more informative content in 2026!

Today I talk with Billy, a third generation missionary in Japan, no that's not true, Billy is not a missionary, he is a pastor within a Japanese denomination. He goes to pastor meetings and presents reports in unaccented Japanese at annual meetings, but he's 6'5" and was born in Tennessee.

I look at Christianity Today's articles on Christianity and Shinto, parts of an interview of Tokyo Christian University's Yoichi Yamaguchi by Kazusa Okaya. Article Links:Shinto's Key Teachings: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/08/shinto-shintoism-japan-teachings-kami-animism/Shinto's Historical and Contemporary Influences on Society: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/08/...

Today we talk with Morgen Hildebrand, a missionary from Kansas who completed a theology degree at Tokyo Christian University. She gives a number of fascinating insights to the way that Japanese professors teach Christianity, and the way that her Japanese classmates encouraged her to fine tune her gospel message in a culturally winsome way.

Today Chris Pain, Japan field director of OMF joins me to review a report on Church Planting and Partnering with Japanese pastors that OMF produced. You can download the report for free here! https://omf.org/resource/download-report-church-planting-and-partnering-in-japan/

Kohei and I continue our conversation from last time. The first 20 minutes or so we talk about church models and Japan, the second half we look at some of the answers Japanese pastors gave at the Asian Access conference when asked what they would like missionaries to start doing and stop doing. Enjoy!

Today we talk with Kohei, who helped out at Asian Access Japan's 2024 conference 'From Embers to Flames'. Did you know that, although Japan's Christian population is only about 1% of Japan, 99% of Christians are laypeople? That' means that, if there are 1,000,000 Japanese Christians, 990,000 of them are not clergy. How can these Japanese Christian laypeople, these embers, ignit...

Today I chat with Noah, a missionary who began self-studying Japanese two years before landing in Japan in early '24. He promptly passed the JLPT N2, and is awaiting his results from taking N1 in December. Noah shares what worked for him, a surprisingly cheap and time efficient system that most missionaries (or any Japanese learners) could benefit from! Noah's suggested resources: Tofugu's resourc...

At the biennial Renown (formerly CPI) Conference hundreds of Japan-based missionaries gathered for networking, encouragement, and strategizing. While there JCATS held a survey asking 'what are your favorite books about Japan by Japanese authors?' and 'what are your favorite Christian podcasts?' Jon's friend and fellow Japan missionary Joe comes on to discuss results.

at a denominational anniversary celebration in Sendai, I surveyed 34 attendees to ask what they find is attractive about Christianity. The results are in the video.

Today I have a conversation with pastor Kentaro Matsuda about how he reaches people who haven't lost their faith, but have stepped away from church. He recently translated Frank Viola's 'Pagan Christianity' into Japanese, and we talk about that too.

Seminar presented by Dr. Martin Heisswolf at Ochanomizu Christian Center on August 17, 2024, for Kyuu Juu Kyuu -- talks on evangelizing the rest of the Japanese, sponsored by JCATS (Japanese Contextual and Theological Studies). Dr. Heisswolf is the author of Japanese Understanding of Salvation: Soteriology in the context of Japanese Animism, published by Langham, and available here: https://langha...

In 1999 the Association of Shinto Shrines printed a pamphlet in English entitled Shinto Beliefs, I go over the 5 pillars, and talk a little bit more about Nishitani's Understanding Japaneseness, which discusses Shinto in the Epilogue.

Today we look at Kosuke Nishitani's 'Understanding Japaneseness' (link below). Nishitani argues that Maternal-Filial Affection is THE key point of a framework of Nipponjinron (think 'Japanology'). As a pastor as well as a scholar, he also gives his thought on the problem of Japaneseness. Might it lead to a 'Japanese' apologetic? Understanding Japaneseness - https://www....

In today's video I examine and condense Mattari Seisho Labo's four-part series on Shichihei Yamamoto's Nihonkyo (Japanism). Nihonkyo is the idea that all Japanese adhere to an under the surface 'religion', even Japanese who are members of religions such as Buddhism, Shinto and even Christianity. Mattari Seisho Labo's Nihonkyo videos are listed below: 1 - https://youtu.be/sJ...

In today's episode we look at a round-table discusison found in 'Senkyogaku Readings' the same collection from which the article 'the Sermon contextualized to Japan' discussed in the previous episode, was taken. Again, the book can be purchased from the RAC Network store here: https://rac-network.com/?p=563

What would a distinctly Japanese sermon sound like? What can missionaries adjust to make their sermons less Western and more in tune with the Japnese mind? In today's episode I look at Mitsuo Fukuda's entry 'The Japan-contextualized Sermon' from Missiological readings (宣教学リーディングす), published by RAC Network (www.rac-network.com) Fukuda Sensei is a longtime Bible scholar an...

What is hard about ministry in Japan? What advice do you have for missionaries? My friend asked a Japanese pastor in his 70's these questions at a missionary and pastor meeting this week, and I grabbed my notebook and wrote down his answers, which I share here.

Justin Lau is a Singaporean Christian who grew up in Tokyo, and has since studied theology at Cranmer Hall in the UK, where he is currently a worship pastor. Justin talks about his journey toward understanding what it is for him to be an East Asian Christian, how having awareness of decolonised theology can help us better reach the Japanese, and how the Global Church can bless the Western Church....

questions from Kosuke Koyama's Water Buffalo Theology concerning the circular and linear concepts of time, and how they impact eastern thought, and what the Bible says about them.

Welcome back for season 2! After a long layoff we're ready to roll again, starting with an interview with Yurika Dedachi! Yurika grew up in an evangelical church in Japan, went to International Christian University in Tokyo, and is now studying Intercultural Theology at the University of Göttingen in Germany!

Looking at highlights from Masao Takenaka's book(let) 'God is Rice' which discusses Rational vs. Experiential approaches to theology, Village Mentality, and What Asian Art says about cultures.