Translated by KOYAMA Fumio & Ashley Jackson

 

I dedicate “Musha Christ” to the following stars who, ever so timely, became my signposts on my soul's journey, and are now shining like the Northern Cross in Heaven:

 

UCHIMURA Kanzou-sensei,

FUJII Takeshi-sensei,

TSUKAMOTO Toraji-sensei,

TESHIMA Ikurou-kei,

And my elder brother, KOIKE Masami.

 

Late summer, 1975

KOIKE Tatsuo

 

 

Introduction

 

  What is “Musha Christ”? Is it a theological discourse, a literary description, a commentary on the Bible, or a collection of narrative?

  All of these elements are properly included, to be sure. However, this book is, essentially, my confession — a confession that I could not help but write using these elements, one made while held in the thrall of the Gospel of Christ, which had caught hold of me as I dove into the divine drama that is the Bible. Jesus Christ is a person who cannot be categorized, a person who is beyond any and all ideology. Therefore, it is most essential for me to be received into His core, the core of the Gospel, and to be moved to confess. It is for these reasons, and with such a wish, that I wrote this book.

 

  Jesus Christ is a truly selfless person. It is because of this selflessness that He becomes infinite and immeasurable. His very existence laughs at any and all limitations. Because He is such a person, I respectfully call Him the Mu Existentialist, or Musha (“the Nothing Man”) for short.

  The Four Gospels of the New Testament—Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John—are all simple and exquisite. In terms of their character, it may be said that Mark engraved the aspects of Christ's behavior dramatically, Matthew expressed the aspects of His words poetically, Luke described the aspects of His heart by way of imagery, and John related the aspects of His spirit with the rhythm of music. But while the Synoptic Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke harmoniously capture the behavior, words, and heart of Jesus, it is John in particular who deeply grasps His spiritual aspects, as if he had combined the three Gospels of his fellow Evangelists into one. It goes without saying, of course, that the works of the Holy Spirit permeate through all three Gospels of the three Evangelists; however, these works are most thoroughly revealed in John.

 

  The Four Gospels explain to us the revelational facts of what Jesus was, the realities that are relevant to our lives today, and the prophetical and eschatological realities that will draw the future nearer. The Gospels, therefore, are the amazing reality that the absolute dimension cuts its way into the relative dimension, eternity into time, and the infinite into the finite. For those who read the Bible while physically sensing this reality, the Gospels are always a new Oratorio. Theologically speaking, it was through the appearance of a Son of God called Jesus, a man with whom the Holy Spirit remains; through His revelational existence; through His spiritual words and behaviors, that the sign of a new judgment and salvation appeared in this world.

 

  The appearance of Christ proved a tempest of trials for self-reliant men, but it was also a remarkable blessing for men in desperate situations. Furthermore, His Gospel exists in any period—particularly in the critical twentieth century of present— as the most deeply relevant Gospel, and will remain so unto the end of history.

 

  The Will of Christ brings about Copernican revolution to our own wills and grants us spiritual knowledge at the center of our intellect.

  In the following three parts of this book, using data freely collected from the Gospels themselves, I will attempt to clarify the fundamental character and structure of the Christ within:

 

Part 1 – The Ten Existential Pivotal Moments

I have gathered ten pivotal moments of Christ that I regard as the most essential. These points are the Incarnation of Christ, the Baptism, the Temptation, the Evangelical Works, the Transfiguration, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, the Ascension, the Pentecost, and the Second Coming.

 

Part 2 – The Seven Evangelical and Existential Aspects of Human Beings

When humans are bathed in evangelical light, the following seven dramatic aspects appear: the Flaw, the Shattering, the Breakthrough, the Indwelling (or Everburning), the Bearing (or Embrace), the Sacrifice (or Noble Pawn), and the Will of Christ (or Glory).

 

Part 3 – Existential Nothingness

What does “Existential Nothingness” mean? First, I will explain why I call Jesus Christ Musha (“the Nothing Man”). I will also touch upon the ways in which authentic religions relate to cultures and civilizations, and the relationship between religion and education. Lastly, I will introduce three poems related to the Gospel.

 

  My intention has been to write a book that is accessible to anyone. There would be no greater pleasure for me, as an author, if a reader of this book were to say, “I get this! I think I’ll try sinking my teeth into the Good Book.” By reading this book, I believe that Buddhists will come to realize how compatible the Gospel is with Buddhism as well.

  This is not a theological work, but I think that those involved in theological meditations within the world of Christianity will recognize that there is a spiritual theology—a theology that thoroughly conveys the life of Jesus Christ—sparkling here.

To the world of Christianity in Japan, I say: return to the level of the Apostles’ faith, to the original Gospel. And to each and every person in ecclesia: realize the second Religious Reformation!

  Lastly, my wish is that teachers in Japan, from day nurseries to colleges, will realize that humans are, at their core, religious beings in a broader sense of the word, and that great innovations will occur in the world of education.

 

Early fall, 1975 (Showa 50)

Kisshouji, Musashino

KOIKE Tatsuo