Another hijacking attempt on Veritas :) CHRISTIANITY IN JAPANESE LITERATURE (all readings in English) New course that fills HUMANITIES and UPPER DIVISION REQUIREMENTS. No knowledge of Japanese needed. YOU CAN STILL LATE ADD UNTIL NEXT WEEK. Freshman can enroll. Info below. ____________________ Space Still Open—Late Add is OK CHRISTIANITY in JAPANESE LITERATURE Modern Japanese Literature—Japanese 3360 Fall Semester, Monday & Wednesday, 2:00~3:15, Strickland 114 Instructor Prof. Martin Holman, Coordinator of the MU Japanese Studies Program Christianity first reached Japan with Spanish and Portuguese missionaries in the 1500s, and hundreds of thousands of Japanese converted to Christianity over several decades. By the 1600s, however, political tension with European colonial powers led the Japanese warrior rulers to outlaw Christianity, expel foreign missionaries, and execute Japanese Christians or force them to renounce their faith. Two-hundred-fifty years later, in the late 1800s, after Japan reopened relations with the West, Christianity returned and many Japan intellectuals and common people found themselves drawn to Protestant and Catholic teachings. Universities were founded by a range of Christian denominations and are now some of the most prestigious educational institutions in Japan. Although Christians represent less than 1% of the population of Japan, Christianity has exerted surprising influence on Japanese culture, with many Christians having played prominent roles in Japanese society. (Eight of Japan’s prime ministers have been Christian.) Surprisingly to some, many leading Japanese Christians abandoned the faith to become part of communist/socialist movements of the early 20th century. Christians occupy a disproportionately large place among major writers of Japanese literature. The novels and short stories of Endo Shusaku, Miura Ayako, and others have been widely read by Christians and non-Christians in Japan, and many of their works have been adapted for film and television. This course will consider the historical place of Christianity in Japan and examine both the works of modern Japanese literature written by Christian authors and literature by non-Christian Japanese that exhibits Christian influence or take up Christian topics. These are not religious tracts. The readings are popular fiction--novels and short stories--best sellers that have been widely read by Japanese (mostly Buddhist or non-religious). Although Myzou will automatically not allow Freshmen into 3000-level courses, Freshmen ARE welcome in the class. There are no prerequisites. Just contact the instructor for an override code in order to enroll on Myzou. Contact Prof. Holman if you have questions: jmartinholman@gmail
Posted on: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 13:35:34 +0000