Evolution, Christianity, and Asian Modernization: Xie Honglai and Uemura Masahisa — Ritsumeikan Forum (2024)

At the Christianity and Chinese Modernization Forum 2024, held at Ritsumeikan University in Osaka, I presented a comparative study of how two indigenous East Asian theologians received the theory of evolution.

The paper

“Evolution, Christianity, and Asian Modernization: A Dialogue between Xie Honglai 谢洪赉 (1873–1916) and Uemura Masahisa 植村正久 (1858–1925)’s Theologies of Science.”

Abstract

The impact of Christian missionaries on the modernization of Asian countries is well-documented. But how did the indigenous Christians contribute, if any, to the modernization process of their own countries? This paper delves into the development of theologies of science by indigenous Chinese and Japanese Christians in response to the challenges posed by modern sciences, particularly the theory of evolution. Focusing on theologians Xie Honglai 谢洪赉 (1873–1916) and Uemura Masahisa 植村正久 (1858–1925), the paper argues that despite the evolutionary theory’s shaking of the foundation of Christianity in China and Japan in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, both theologians integrated the theory of evolution into their theologies of science, albeit critically. The paper will first provide a brief overview of how Western sciences contributed to the modernization of both countries. It will then compare the introduction of evolutionary theory to Japan during the Meiji Restoration and to China in the late Qing Dynasty against the backdrop of Christianity’s development. Next, it will explore how Xie and Uemura incorporated the theory of evolution into their theologies of science. Finally, the paper will analyze the implications of their responses to evolution in shaping Japanese and Chinese theologies for the third millennium. The significance of this study lies in the fact that it presents an original perspective on Asian modernization, offering valuable insights into the role of indigenous Christian theology in this transformative process.

Event

• Event: Christianity and Chinese Modernization Forum 2024 — “Christianity and the Modernization of East Asia: Focusing on Japan, China, and Korea”
• Venue: Ritsumeikan University, Osaka Ibaraki Campus, Japan
• Date: December 8, 2024