Abstract

This ethnographic study compares the experiences of conflict Japanese Christians encounter when balancing their cultural and religious identities in Japan and the United States. Japanese Christians represent an interesting demographic, since they embody seemingly contrasting identity markers: an East Asian cultural background and a Western religion. This study used participant observation and a bilingual survey to gather personal accounts of the conflicts Japanese Christians face from two church congregations: a Japanese Baptist church in Atlanta, Georgia and a Japanese non-denominational church in Kashiwa, Japan. The purpose of this research was to gain a contemporary understanding of the hardships Japanese Christians encounter when balancing their cultural and religious identities and identify their perception of how Christianity affects traditional Japanese values and customs. This study contributes to the limited body of contemporary anthropological studies exploring the conflicting identity structure of Japanese Christians and their experiences in Japan and the United States.

Advisor

Matsuzawa, Setsuko

Department

Sociology and Anthropology

Disciplines

Christianity | Japanese Studies | Social and Cultural Anthropology

Keywords

Japanese Christians, Conflict, Balance, Cultural and Religious Identities, Ethnography, Japan, United States of America

Publication Date

2017

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2017 Jasmine Carruth