The Salvation Army

A Protestant denomination that values ​​practical social activities. It was founded in 1865 in the East End slums of London by Methodist pastor William Booth and his wife. It is an organization whose aims are to spread the gospel of Christ, to form a faith community, and to fight for social improvement by opposing poverty and vice. Booth adopted military terminology, military-style uniforms, and a military-style organization as the best way to put this into practice. It currently has its international headquarters in London, and has an organization in each country with headquarters-regiment-platoon-squad, and is active in almost all countries except socialist countries.

Booth, the founder, had a hard time as a boy due to the failure and death of his father's business, and at the age of 15, he experienced a conversion and developed sympathy for people suffering from poverty. He realized that he had a calling as an evangelist, and with the help of his wife Catherine, he used his ingenuity to engage in evangelism in the slums (since 1865). In the process, the passionate Booth left the Methodist Church and organized the East London Mission, which he renamed the organization "The Salvation Army" in 1878. The Salvation Army's central doctrine is "Salvation and Holiness," a simplified version of Christian doctrine, and summarized this doctrine in the slogan "Blood and Fire." Blood represents Christ, and fire represents the Holy Spirit. They rejected the sacraments that were valued in established denominations. The discipline of life, which included abstinence from alcohol and smoking, created a rational and ascetic ethos (moral climate). The Salvation Army, which started out as a purely spiritual movement, provided facilities to meet the diverse daily needs of local residents and engaged in volunteer activities. In an era without microphones, they played trumpets to attract crowds, and brass bands became a tool for evangelism.

The Salvation Army's activities in Japan began in 1895 (Meiji 28) when 14 evangelists including Colonel Wright came to Japan. Gunpei Yamamuro, who was inspired by the Salvation Army's missionary methods and passion, joined the group. With prayer and strength, like-minded people developed the Japan Salvation Army and made sincere efforts to solve the problems of the hearts of the masses, who had been ignored by the government authorities, and to help them with their lives and to save them. The Salvation Army stood up in the women's liberation movement (1900), who had been victims of the licensed prostitution system, and opened the University Colonization Center (1908), a labor dormitory (1911), and the Social Colonization Center (1917) as settlement projects, and operated a hospital (1912) and a tuberculosis sanatorium (1916). In addition to evangelism, the group also attracted attention for its active social service activities. The "Social Pot" street fundraising event, which has become a regular feature of the streets at the end of the year, is also part of the group's activities.

In 1940 (Showa 15), when the Second Sino-Japanese War became serious, the Salvation Army changed its name to the Salvation Corps due to government oppression, and joined the United Church of Christ in Japan, which was established under the government's guidance the following year. After the Pacific War in 1946, it was rebuilt as the Salvation Army Japan Headquarters, and remains so to this day. In 1989 (Heisei 1), a hospice ward was opened at the Salvation Army Kiyose Hospital. As of 2010, there are 58 platoons in Japan, with 111 officers and 3,332 soldiers (believers).

[Shiro Kawamata and Makoto Hara]

"Towards the Kingdom of God: The History of the Salvation Army in Japan 3 1945-1965" edited by Yoshida Shinichi (1987, Salvation Army Publishing Supply Department)" ▽ "Towards the Kingdom of God: The History of the Salvation Army in Japan 1895-1926" written by Akimoto Mitaro (1991, Salvation Army Publishing Supply Department)" ▽ "Towards the Kingdom of God: The History of the Salvation Army in Japan 2 1927-1946" written by Akimoto Mitaro (1992, Salvation Army Publishing Supply Department)" ▽ "Towards the Kingdom of God: The History of the Salvation Army in Japan 4 1966-1995" edited by Yoshida Shinichi and Mochimaru Chieko (1995, Salvation Army Publishing Supply Department)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

実践的な社会活動を重んじるプロテスタントの一教派。1865年にロンドンのスラム街イースト・エンドで、メソジスト教会の牧師ブースWilliam Booth夫妻らによって始められた。キリストの福音(ふくいん)の伝道、信仰的共同体の形成、貧困と悪徳を敵として社会改善のために戦うことを目的とする団体である。ブースはその実践の最善の方法として、軍隊用語と軍服型の制服と軍隊方式の組織を採用した。現在ロンドンに万国本営を置き、各国に本営―連隊―小隊―分隊などの組織をもち、社会主義国を除くほとんどすべての国で活動している。

　創立者ブースは少年時代に父親の事業の失敗と死によって苦労し、15歳で回心を経験、貧困に苦しむ人たちへの共感を抱く。伝道者としての召命を自覚し、妻キャサリンの協力を得て、創意工夫を生かしてスラム街で伝道活動に従事（1865年以降）する過程で、情熱的なブースはメソジスト教会から分かれて東ロンドン伝導会を組織したのち、この活動組織を1878年に「救世軍」と改名した。救世軍はキリスト教の教義を単純化した「救いと聖潔」を中心教理とし、その教理を「血と火」という標語にまとめた。血はキリストを、火は聖霊を表象する。既成教派で重んじる礼典は否定した。禁酒と禁煙を守る生活の規律は合理的・禁欲的エートス（道徳的気風）を生み出した。このような純然たる救霊運動として出発した救世軍は、地域住民の多様な日常的必要に対応しうる施設を提供して奉仕活動に従事した。マイクロホンのない時代に、群衆を集める工夫としてらっぱを吹奏したことから、ブラスバンドが伝道の武器となった。

　日本での活動は、1895年（明治28）にライト大佐ら14名の伝道者が来日したことから始まり、救世軍の伝道方法と情熱に共鳴した山室軍平(やまむろぐんぺい)が参加し、志を同じくする者が祈りと力とをあわせて日本救世軍を発展させ、行政の責任者が無視していた底辺の大衆の心の問題と救いと生活上の援助に誠実な努力を注いだ。公娼(こうしょう)制度の犠牲となっていた女性の解放運動（1900）に立ち上がり、セツルメント事業として大学殖民(しょくみん)館（1908）、労働寄宿舎（1911）、社会殖民館（1917）を開設し、病院（1912）や結核療養所（1916）を経営するなど、伝道と同時に活発な社会奉仕活動によって注目されてきた。年末の街頭の風物になっている慈街頭募金活動の「社会鍋(なべ)」も、その活動の一端である。

　日中戦争が深刻化した1940年（昭和15）救世軍は政府の弾圧によって救世団と改名し、翌年政府の指導下で生まれた日本基督(キリスト)教団に参加した。太平洋戦争後の1946年救世軍日本本営として再建されて今日に至る。1989年（平成1）、救世軍清瀬病院にホスピス病棟が開設された。2010年時点で、日本の小隊数は58を数え、士官数111名、兵士（信者）数3332名である。

［川又志朗・原　誠］

『吉田信一編著『神の国をめざして　日本救世軍の歴史3　1945～1965』（1987・救世軍出版供給部）』▽『秋元巳太郎著『神の国をめざして　日本救世軍の歴史1　1895～1926』（1991・救世軍出版供給部）』▽『秋元巳太郎著『神の国をめざして　日本救世軍の歴史2　1927～1946』（1992・救世軍出版供給部）』▽『吉田信一・持丸智惠子編著『神の国をめざして　日本救世軍の歴史4　1966～1995』（1995・救世軍出版供給部）』

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