This presentation explores the socio-intellectual role of Eastern Orthodoxy in the context of Japan’s modernization. Historically, the first Japanese converts to Orthodoxy were former retainers of the Sendai domain, who had been defeated in the Boshin War. They found a spiritual anchor in the Church’s traditional and conservative doctrines, which resonated deeply with their Confucian ethics. Recent fieldwork suggests that this pattern of "reception by the vanquished" may have extended to Kyushu, specifically among Kagoshima’s samurai class following their defeat in the Satsuma Rebellion. In today’s "religious zero" society—as characterized by Emmanuel Todd—the Orthodox Church, with its "primitive" and non-Western image, offers a distinct value system. This talk re-examines the Church not merely as a relic of the past, but as a significant alternative perspective to Western liberal norms in contemporary Japan.

12:10 – 12:15　Introduction
Associate Professor, Fumihiko Yokota (Q-AOS Coordinator)

12:15 – 12:40　Seminar
Title: Rethinking the Orthodox Church from Kyushu : The "Vanquished" of Modernity and Post-Liberal Values
Speaker: Associate Professor, Sanami TAKAHASHI
(Faculty of Human-Environment Studies Department of Human Sciences)

12:40 – 12:50　Q&A

・Information For Participants：PDF

※Simultaneous interpretation function cannot be used on a web browser.
　Please download the Zoom application from here.

・Slides：PDF

Your registration data will only be used for this webinar and the next webinar notification mails.

Please check here