Toward a Japanese contextual pneumatology: A critical dialogue with Japanese pantheistic spirituality and Juergen Moltmann's panentheistic pneumatology

The purpose of this dissertation is to propose an understanding of the Spirit of God which would be appropriate in the cultural and religious context of Japan. Toward this goal, this study compares and contrasts Japanese pantheistic spirituality and Jurgen Moltmann's panentheistic pneumatology in light of the present situation of Japanese Christianity. First, the predominant traits of Christianity in Japan, which emphasize a transcendent God that is beyond worldly realities, are examined with a special emphasis on the groupism and contextualism. Next, the pantheistic nature of Japanese mentality and religiosity is explored from the perspective of the relative sense of self-identity as well as in the context of Shinto, Buddhism, and the recent spirituality movement. In addition, the panentheistic vision of Jurgen Moltmann is scrutinized based on the analysis of his theological and pneumatological program. Then, in critical dialogue with Japanese pantheism and Moltmann's panentheism, the strengths and weaknesses of Japanese spirituality and Moltmann's pneumatology are analyzed to present a proper understanding of the Spirit in the context of Japan. Finally, this dissertation argues that the Japanese pneumatology that properly expresses the Spirit in the context of Japan should address the Spirit's immanence in all things, the intimacy of the Spirit with human and nature, and a realistic worldview, while it should also hold the view of the omnipresence and absoluteness of the Spirit with an eschatological purpose.