334 - The Christian Tradition: Beyond its European Captivity

The Christian Tradition: Beyond its European Captivity
By Joseph Mitsuo Kitagawa
Philadelphia, Trinity Press International, 1992 pp. 307, $22.95.

The expression "European captivity" in the title of this book conjures up once again the image that has been thought to be put to rest: the third world church captive to its "mother" church in Europe and in North America. The image is a painful reminder of a church that was under the tutelage of the church in the West, of Christianity branded as "Western religion" in China, and of Christians regarded as traitors to their own nation. But the little word "beyond" must have been intended to take the reader beyond those bad old days to the present time when, although "European captivity" is not yet entirely the thing of the past, the situation is very different.

Joseph Kitagawa is Japanese by ethnic origin, Asian-American by force of circumstances (or perhaps by karma), and a historian of religions by profession. This latest book of his is a rare feat, putting all three "incarnations" to work. It is a critique of Christianity in Japan and, by inference, in Asia with moving accounts of the hardships and sufferings the Asian-Americans had to endure to become part of their adopted country and reflections upon on the challenges Christianity faces in the world of cultures and religions. This is an immense task. The author goes about it by applying skillfully what he calls "autobiographical perception" (self-understanding) and "biographical perception" (other-understanding) to press for a Christianity "beyond its European captivity," Christianity in dialogue with other religions.

This book, consisting of essays written over many years, gives a wealth of first-hand information, an abundance of personal reflections, and many penetrating scholarly insights. Reading the book is like meeting the author in person and entering into conversation with him.

336 - The Christian Tradition: Beyond its European Captivity

One has so much to learn from the conversation and, at the same time, has something to contribute to it. Particularly, one would like to share with the author the creative theological developments that have taken place during the past twenty years in Asia, the fact that some thinking Christians and theologians in Asia have gone beyond "the European captivity" of Christianity and been shaping the faith and theology of the Christian church for the world of tomorrow. I would like to thank Professor Joseph Kitagawa for what he has done to inspire those of us who came after him to carry the work of his generation a step or two farther.

Choan-Seng Song
Pacific School of Religion and the Graduate Theological Union
Berkeley, CA.