Jesus and the Samurai
The Shining Religion and the Samurai
by
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The indigenous religion of Japan was then, and still is, the practice of Shinto. Though the kami, or spirits of soil and rice are referenced in the Kojiki, 712 CE, and the Nihonshoki, 720 CE, Shinto has no written scripture that gives structure or guidance to its practice. In practice, Shinto consists of taking part in certain ceremonies and festivals, which offer a sense of community. The largely cultural nature of Shinto, has allowed the Japanese to be practicing Buddhists and yet still observe Shinto practice. Amenominakanushi-no-kami, the one original Shinto god is said to be unknown, unknowable, without form, invisible, and responsible for the Creation. There is another interpretation in which Amenominakanushi-no-kami, and two other invisible gods, Takamimusuhi-no-kami, and Kamimisubi-no-kami are responsible for Creation. Therefore Shinto has either a single creator, or a triune creator, like the triune Christian God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
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About the Book
By 250 AD, Christianity had spread throughout India and China. Known as the Shining Religion or the Luminous Teaching, it drew adherents from Buddhism and Hinduism who were seeking a faith that taught the possibility of achieving a society founded on love and compassion for their fellow man. The new doctrine reached the island nation of Japan where it was so well received that Christianity threatened to supplant Buddhism as the dominant religion. By the close of the 16th century Japanese Christians numbered in the millions. Fifty years later Christianity was officially proscribed and Christians faced execution for openly practicing their faith. Jesus and the Samurai tells their fascinating story with facts drawn from ancient and modern sources.
About the Author
MICHAEL ZOMBER is an internationally renowned authority on Japanese arms and armor. He is the writer and producer of Renascent Films’ documentary Soul of the Samurai, which chronicles the history of samurai culture. He lives in Edgewater, Maryland, with his wife, Andrea, a documentary filmmaker, and their two children.