15년전쟁 하 일본 기독교의 전쟁 협력 — 전후 ‘전쟁책임’ 문제와 관련하여 —

Abstract

The Manchurian Incident, which broke out in 1931, triggered the formation of Japanese fascism. Most Japanese people enthusiastically supported military action. And the military led aggressive nationalism based on the extreme deification of the emperor. During this period, called the “Fifteen Years War,” anyone who deviated from the control of the state was not allowed to exist, and control of the religious community was forced to become coercive. As everyone knows, Religious Organization Law was hardly a righteous order that was created for the sake of the country but which it was for the Imperial System to hold a better control of the religious powers. However, neither did the Christian leaders at that time realize the hidden intention nor did they brought up any theological debates to fight against the nation. Rather, they tried to become one of the advocators of the Imperial power and help the nation to grow stronger, believing that the Religious Organization Law would protect Christianity. Afterwards, Japanese Christianity declared to stand by the nation’s policy under the title of the United Church of Christ in Japan(UCCJ). In this paper, I will be examining the specific aspects of war cooperation of Japanese Christianity during the Fifteen Years War. And, after the war, Japanese Christianity ignored the issue of “war responsibility” through victim consciousness. In this situation, I will be examining Ogawa Takemitsu, who claimed responsibility for the war of Japanese Christianity.