Christianity Today interviews Yoichi Yamaguchi, director of the International Mission Center at Tokyo Christian University, about Shinto’s long-lasting significance in Japan and how early believers responded to the imposition of emperor worship. Can Shinto be considered Japan’s national religion? While the Japanese imperial household conducts official Shinto rituals using the state budget today, Shinto was Read more…
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Christianity Today speaks with Yoichi Yamaguchi, director of the International Mission Center at Tokyo Christian University, on what Shinto beliefs look like and how the indigenous religion flourished in Japan. What is Shinto? As the earliest religion in Japan, Shinto could have been practiced as far back as the Jomon period (10,500 to 300 BC). Read more…
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Every August, Japan celebrates Obon, one of the country’s biggest Shinto-Buddhist festivals. Vibrant dances set to the beat of taiko drums take place in temples or parks as a form of welcoming the spirits. Families visit their ancestors’ graves to pay their respects and light paper lanterns to guide the spirits back to the afterlife Read more…
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On Friday, the Brazilian supreme court sentenced former president Jair Bolsonaro to more than 27 years in prison for plotting an attempted coup after losing the 2022 election. The landmark ruling marks the first time the country has tried and convicted a person for trying to overthrow an elected government. For days ahead of the Read more…
The post Brazilian Evangelicals Call for Reconciliation After Bolsonaro Convicted of Coup Plot appeared first on Christianity Today.
I was waiting for my lunch appointment to arrive when I saw the video on X. In my gut, I knew Charlie Kirk was going to die. The brutality—and grim clarity—of the clip made my heart drop. My first thought: His wife. His Kids. My second thought: My congregation. What do they need? How many Read more…
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French Catholic sociologist René Girard argued that ever since the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, violence has been robbed of its sacred legitimacy and ancient power—but you wouldn’t know that by scanning some corners of the internet today. Over the past few days, a slew of violent events has erupted in our nation, including Read more…
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Do you remember the excitement and sense of purpose when you first felt called by God to vocational ministry? Like the disciples on the mountain with Jesus just before he gave them their commission, you may have wrestled with some nervous jitters or doubts. But beneath those anxious thoughts there was a genuine excitement—a holy Read more…
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Hundreds of students filled the lawn of evangelical Grand Canyon University near downtown Phoenix Wednesday evening, grieving the murder of Charlie Kirk. One by one, they spoke into a mic, many praying for Kirk’s wife and two children and sharing stories about his impact. Less than a year ago, many of these same students were Read more…
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