Citation

Imaoka, Shin’ichirō. What Kind of Church/Kyōkai Is Kiitsu Kyōkai? Translated by Andrew James Brown, 1952, https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTgvwLgEa8a258r6GYosYiGzEHL0i-GP5JkDRDylt9cvd86eQtzE6G5Kco8f1AuuhrgLgbydOBYX356/pub#h.3j5eyjy35ct.

Quotes

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Collations

State of Kiitsu Kyōkai after ten years

Kiitsu Kyōkai has not yet fully formalised itself as a church/kyōkai.

continues to meet on Sundays throughout the year

it has not been very successful.

It remains unclear whether there even exist members

a period of experimentation

Imaoka's main priority when he started Kiitsu Kyōkai

to examine the character [性格] and essence [本質] of the jiyū shūkyō we advocate.

Result of Imaoka's experiment to grasp jiyū shūkyō after ten years

have I fully grasped the quintessence [神髄[ of free-religion? Certainly not.

I still see myself as nothing more than a seeker on the path

I am by no means a shepherd

I have, at last, reached a state of mind [心境] where my trials [実験] can be translated into actual practice [突践] even as experimentation continues.

Jiyū shūkyō emphasizes freedom

refuses to be bound by fixed dogmas [ドグマ] or ceremonies

advocates for liberation from the authority of a founder

non-dogmatic, highly flexible religion

dogma, ceremonies, and religious institutions [教団] within various religions should not be regarded as ultimate or absolute [終局的・絶対的], but rather as secondary and symbolic [第二義的・象徴的], shaped by the conditions of time and environment

Jiyū shūkyō is process-oriented

Rather than focusing on reaching a final destination [終点], it values the process of progress and development

Jesus' religion

the gospel of creative love

Shakyamuni's religion

the fundamental principle [根本的理法] of creative evolution [創造的進化], which manifests in infinitely adaptive and transformative ways

I believe that this Dharma [ダルマ] can even be interpreted as Humanism

How Christians and Buddhists confined religion

later Christians and Buddhists confined the ever-evolving spiritual life [流動進展してやまない霊的生命] within the boundaries of dogma, ceremonies, and religious authority

The essential task of jiyū shūkyō for established religions

to return these ossified, formalised established religions [固定化・形式化した既成宗教] to their original sources [その源泉に立ち帰らせて] and revive them with free and creative life

transform orthodox Christianity [オルソドックス基督教] and fixed Buddhism [固定仏教] into Free-Christianity [自由基督教] and Free-Buddhism

The essential task is to awaken to what lies beyond these dogmas [ドグマ] and symbols

No need for any label other than jiyū shūkyō

if Free-Christianity and Free-Buddhism [自由仏教] are fully to embody true “freedom” [真に「自由」に徹底する], then there is no need to cling to traditional labels [伝統的名称] such as Christianity or Buddhism. It would be sufficient simply to call it jiyū shūkyō.

Jesus and Shakyamuni practiced jiyū shūkyō

Jesus and Shakyamuni were great figures of jiyū shūkyō

Jiyū shūkyō practitioners should learn from a wide variety of exemplars

there is absolutely no need to limit ourselves solely to Jesus and Śākyamuni. We must learn just as much from Augustine, Luther, and Schweitzer, as well as from Ryōkan [竜間], Shinran [親鸞], and Gandhi.

all the saints and sages [聖賢] of East and West, past and present, should be respected as the spiritual forebears

Jiyū shūkyō practitioners can still learn from established religions

Even the Orthodox Christianity and fixed-Buddhism, which were provisionally rejected earlier [一応は排斥した], if we survey them from a broad historical perspective [歴史的に大観して], and regard them all as steps in the process of evolution [進化の一階段], then I think there is also something to be learned from them

at Kiitsu Kyōkai, we include not only Christianity and Buddhism, but also Shintō, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, and all other faiths

Process-orientation necessitates that different perspectives on god or gods shouldn't be ranked

From the perspective that the process [過程] of progress [進歩] is more important than the final destination [終点], we should not hastily rank polytheism [多神論], monotheism [一神論], theism [人格神論], impersonal conceptions of God [無人格神論]—a type of atheism [一種の無神論] — or even spiritualism [心霊論] in terms of superiority or inferiority, or of higher and lower

To integrate multiple religions, they must first become free religions

For different religions to truly converge [真に帰一する], they must refine one another

all religions must first become free-religions

Criticisms on Kiitsu Kyōkai

Kiitsu Kyōkai lacks creeds [信条], scriptures [経典], pastors [牧師], and priests [住職], making it too vague [余りに漠然としていて] and difficult to grasp

The quintessence of religion

grasping the meaning of [把握する] the great life of free and selfless creative evolution

Imaoka thought certain elements of Kiitsu Kyōkai should eventually be systematized

creeds [信条], scriptures [経典], pastors [牧師], and priests

just because they are minor does not mean they are entirely unnecessary

at some point, our church/kyōkai  should also should also systematise [整備すべき] such elements.

All scriptures are equally sacred

the Buddhist scriptures [仏典], the Bible [バイブル], the Qur’an [コーラン], the Vedas [ヴェーダ], and even Kiitsu Kyōkai’s own sacred texts [帰一教会の聖書][6] must all be regarded as equally sacred.

Kiitsu Kyōkai sacred texts

It seems likely that Imaoka Shin’ichirō is thinking here of texts by people such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, John Haynes Holmes and Henri Bergson.

How jiyū shūkyō approaches a wide variety of resources

No matter how broad-minded [雅量] Kiitsu Kyōkai may be, it would never force someone to overeat [食べすぎを強要する]. The only point Kiitsu Kyōkai emphasises [強調する] is that one must not be a picky eater

Literature notes

This essay provides a clear answer to the question about jiyū shūkyō's perspective on different views on God or gods.

From the perspective that the process [過程] of progress [進歩] is more important than the final destination [終点], we should not hastily rank polytheism [多神論], monotheism [一神論], theism [人格神論], impersonal conceptions of God [無人格神論]—a type of atheism [一種の無神論] — or even spiritualism [心霊論] in terms of superiority or inferiority, or of higher and lower

This essay provides a clear statement about the object of faith of jiyū shūkyō (which one could also call God).

the quintessence of religion [宗教の神髄] lies in grasping the meaning of [把握する] the great life of free and selfless creative evolution

Prompts

Per Imaoka, what was the state of Kiitsu Kyōkai after ten years? :: Continues to meet every Sunday but informal, with unclear membership, and unsuccessful.

Imaoka's main priority when he started Kiitsu Kyōkai. :: To examine the essence of jiyū shūkyō.

Result of Imaoka's experiment to grasp jiyū shūkyō after ten years. :: Haven't fully grasped jiyū shūkyō. Still a seeker not a shepherd. But trials have informed practice.

Between reaching a final destination and the process of progress and development, which does jiyū shūkyō focuses on? :: The process of progress and development.

Per Imaoka, what was Jesus' religion? :: The gospel of creative love.

Per Imaoka, what was Shakyamuni's religion? :: The fundamental principle of creative evolution.

Imaoka believes that Shakyamuni's Dhara could be interpreted as Humanism.

Per Imaoka, later Christians and Buddhists confined the ever-evolving spiritual life within the boundaries of dogma, ceremonies, and religious authority.

The essential task of jiyū shūkyō for established religions. :: Bring them back to their original source and revive them with free and creative life.

Per Imaoka, when religions embody true freedom, what happens to their traditional labels? :: Become unnecessary and calling them jiyū shūkyō becomes enough.

Per Imaoka, what religion did Jesus and Shakyamuni truly practiced? :: jiyū shūkyō

Per Imaoka, what is the scope to aspire for when looking for spiritual forebears of jiyū shūkyō? :: As wide as possible.

Per Imaoka, what is the scope of religious and spiritual traditions practitioners of jiyū shūkyō could learn from? :: All religions.

How are practitioners of jiyū shūkyō able to consider all religions into their faith? :: They see them all as steps in the process of evolution.

Process-orientation necessitates that different perspectives on god or gods shouldn't be ranked.

Per Imaoka, what is the prerequisite for religions before they could be integrated into a single faith? :: They must first become free-religions.

Criticisms on Kiitsu Kyōkai Imaoka received. :: Lacks creeds, scriptures, pastors, and priests, which makes it vague.

Per Imaoka, what is the quintessence of religion? :: Grasping the meaning of the great life of free and selfless creative evolution.

What elements of Kiitsu Kyōkai did Imaoka thought should eventually be systematized? :: creed, scriptures, and leaders

How does Kiitsu Kyōkai differentiate sacred scriptures? :: All are equally sacred.

Per Andrew James Brown, what Imaoka refers to as Kiitsu Kyōkai's sacred texts may include those by:
1.
2. John Haynes Holmes
3. Henri Bergson
?
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Per Andrew James Brown, what Imaoka refers to as Kiitsu Kyōkai's sacred texts may include those by:

1. Ralph Waldo Emerson
3. Henri Bergson
   ?
   John Haynes Holmes

Per Andrew James Brown, what Imaoka refers to as Kiitsu Kyōkai's sacred texts may include those by:

1. Ralph Waldo Emerson
2. John Haynes Holmes

?
Henri Bergson

Per Andrew James Brown, what Imaoka refers to as Kiitsu Kyōkai's sacred texts may include those by:
?

1. Ralph Waldo Emerson
2. John Haynes Holmes
3. Henri Bergson

Using the metaphor of eating, how does Imaoka explain jiyū shūkyō's approach to consuming a wide variety of religious resources? :: One is not forced to overeat. Just don't be a picky eater.