Masahisa Uemura

Japanese: 植村正久 - うえむら・まさひさ

Year of death: January 8, 1925
Year of birth: December 1, 4th year of Ansei (January 15, 1858)
A Christian thinker and pastor during the Meiji and Taisho periods. His childhood name was Michitaro, and he also had other pen names such as Kendo and Kikyosei. He was born as the eldest son of a samurai with a stipend of 1,500 koku in Musadamura, Yamabe County, Kazusa Province (Togane City, Chiba Prefecture) (one theory is that it was in Tsuyutsukicho, Shiba, Edo). His family fell on hard times after the Meiji Restoration, and he spent his childhood in poverty. In 1868 (Meiji 1), he moved with his family to Yokohama. While studying at the private school of missionary JH Barra, he came into contact with Christianity, and in 1863, he was baptized at the Yokohama Public Church, Japan's first Protestant church. With aspirations of evangelism, he studied at Tokyo Unity Theological Seminary (Meiji Gakuin), was ordained, and in 1880, became the pastor of Shitaya Unity (Toshimaoka, United Church of Christ in Japan) Church. In 1887, he founded Bancho Unity (Fujimicho, United Church of Christ in Japan) Church, and served as its pastor for the rest of his life. Uemura's health deteriorated while he worked hard to restore churches and seminaries damaged in the Great Kanto Earthquake (1923), and he passed away suddenly at his home in Kashiwagi, Tokyo. Uemura's achievements can be summarized in the following three points: 1) He worked hard to foster churches in the early days of Protestant Christianity in Japan, and in particular played a leading role in the formation and development of the major denomination known as the Church of Christ in Japan. 2) He established the theological foundations of orthodox Protestant faith in Japan, and founded the Tokyo Theological Seminary (1904), where he personally trained seminarians and evangelists. 3) He published periodicals such as Nihon Hyoron (Japan Review) and Fukuin Shuho (Evangelical Weekly News) (later renamed Fukuin Shinpo (Evangelical New News) and engaged in a wide range of critical commentary on issues not only related to Christianity but also to the nation and society. He was also involved in the translation of the Bible and the compilation of hymns, leaving behind some excellent translations of the Psalms from the Old Testament. It is well known that Shimazaki Toson's poem "Nige Mizu" (from "Wakanashu") is a rewrite of a hymn that Uemura translated. He is also highly regarded for his literary criticism and his work introducing English literature. Uemura believed that the fundamental principle of Christianity was that sinful human beings were redeemed by the death on the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and that peace with God was restored. Behind his sense of sin, one can see the self-control spirit of a samurai who aims for the heights of heaven. The Collected Works of Uemura Masahisa is made up of 7 volumes. <References> Fujita Harume, "Uemura Masahisa's Understanding of the Gospel," Kyogoku Junichi, "Uemura Masahisa"

(Yuko Unuma)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：大正14.1.8(1925)
生年：安政4.12.1(1858.1.15)
明治大正期のキリスト教思想家,牧師。幼名道太郎。謙堂,桔梗生などと号した。家禄1500石の旗本の長男として上総国山辺郡武射田村(千葉県東金市)に生まれる(一説に江戸芝露月町)。大政奉還により生家が窮し,貧困の中で幼年期を過ごす。明治1(1868)年,一家で横浜に移った。この地で宣教師J.H.バラの私塾などに学ぶうちキリスト教にふれ,同6年,日本最初のプロテスタント教会横浜公会で受洗。伝道を志して東京一致神学校(明治学院)に学び,按手礼を受け,同13年に下谷一致(日本基督教団豊島岡)教会の牧師となる。同20年,番町一致(日本基督教団富士見町)教会を設立,終生その牧師を務めた。関東大震災(1923)で被災した教会や神学校の復旧に奔走する中で健康を害し,東京柏木の自宅で急逝した。植村の事績は以下の3点にまとめられよう。①日本におけるプロテスタント・キリスト教の草創期にあって教会の育成に尽力し,特に日本基督教会と称する主要教派の形成発展に指導的役割を果たした。②日本における正統的プロテスタント信仰の神学的基礎を固め,神学校の東京神学社を創設(明治37年)して自ら神学校育と伝道者の養成に当たった。③『日本評論』,『福音週報』(のち『福音新報』と改題)などの定期刊行物を発刊し,キリスト教のみならず国家社会の諸問題をめぐって幅広い評論活動を行った。また,聖書の翻訳や讃美歌の編纂事業にもかかわり,旧約聖書の詩篇などに名訳を残した。島崎藤村の詩「逃げ水」(『若菜集』)は植村の訳した讃美歌の書き替えであることは名高い。また文学評論や英文学紹介の業績も評価されている。植村はキリスト教の根本義を,罪ある人間がイエス・キリストの十字架の死と復活に贖われ神との和を回復することにあるとした。その罪意識の背後には,志を天の高みに向ける武士の克己の精神をみることができる。『植村正久著作集』全7巻がある。<参考文献>藤田治芽『植村正久の福音理解』,京極純一『植村正久』

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