Religion in Japanese Daily Life

David C. Lewis (Routledge, 2018). 354 pp.

This book is the most up-to-date, comprehensive summary of religion in everyday life in Japan and a treasure trove of case studies in contemporary religion. David Lewis is a fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute, a contributor to Routledge’s Japan Anthropology Workshop Series, and a visiting professor in anthropology at Yunnan University, China. This book is well researched and thoroughly documented with field data, behavioral information, and motivations and reasons for religious activity among the Japanese.

Lewis outlines his four key themes in Japanese religion: memorialism, respect for one’s seniors, fear of that which is potentially “out of place” or “unclean,” and safety and security. He relates how the Japanese engage in many religious practices, and he uncovers the religious attitudes and motivations behind that behavior, even behavior that is often viewed as non-religious. The opening chapters present the roots of a complex religious environment. Lewis then outlines various areas of life and where religion touches individual lives, with chapters titled Growing Up; Finding One’s Way (guidance and divination); House and Car; Work; Leisure; Times of Crisis; and Death. The last one, Shifting Worldviews, thoroughly challenges the assumption that Japanese people are growing more secular. Lewis concludes that even though Japanese seem to be discontinuing some religious practices others are taking their place and that Japanese are still active in their “religious activity.”

The real benefit of this book is the case studies, which are based on interviews with people in various situations. They give valuable insights into families; indeed, I felt like Lewis was introducing me to several Japanese families, assisting me to deeply understand them. In the appendix, he also presents several scenarios involving Japanese people and the formation of their religious beliefs and practices.

This book is great field research material, but it’s expensive at over US$62 (nearly ¥7,000) for the Kindle version). I recommend buying Lewis’ cheaper book The Unseen Face of Japan (second edition; Wide Margin, 2013), which broadly covers many of the same topics, including the four key religious themes. JH

Reviewer rating is 5 of 5 stars ★★★★★

The above review was written by John Mehn. The rest below was by Don Schaeffer, our usual reviewer.

Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel

Ray Ortlund (Crossway, 2016). 127 pp.

Old Testament scholar and pastor Ray Ortlund has written a brief but excellent theology of marriage in the Crossway Short Studies in Biblical Theology series. He shows how the “Bible is a love story…. The Bible unfolds as a complex but coherent narrative of God gathering a bride for his Son” (p. 13). Ortlund begins by looking at what the Bible teaches about marriage in Genesis. This rich chapter is full of deep insights: “Every married couple needs to know that their marriage is a remnant of Eden. That is why every marriage is worth working at, worth fighting for” (p. 54).

Looking at marriage in the Law, the Wisdom books, and the Prophets, Ortlund shows how Proverbs calls husbands and wives to be “head-over-heels in love with each other” and how “A wise husband cultivates his wife by setting a high tone of praise and affirmation in their home—not neutral silences, certainly not insults, but bright, positive, life-giving praise” (pp. 67, 70).

Ortlund shows how the biblical definition of marriage established in Genesis 2:24 “is clearly reaffirmed as normative” in his chapter on marriage in the New Testament. In Matthew 19, Jesus teaches that marriage “involves two people only, one man with one woman” (p. 81). In Ephesians 5, Paul teaches that “every faithful Christian marriage points beyond itself to the perfect union we all share with the Lord Jesus Christ” (p. 101). The Bible ends with the wedding of the Lamb with his bride in Revelation 21.

In the final chapter, Ortlund looks at marriage in the world today and says that if we compromise on marriage, we lose the gospel. He ends with a challenge for “all Christians and churches to pray for power, to think with clarity, to confess with humility, and to shout with joy on behalf of God’s priceless, blood-bought gift of marriage” (p. 117).

This is a book for all to savor. You will be enriched as you see more of Jesus’ love for his bride. JH

Reviewer rating is 5 of 5 stars ★★★★★

God’s Healing for Hurting Families: Biblical Principles for Reconciliation and Recovery

David L. Thompson with Gina Thompson Eickhoff (Wesleyan Publishing House, 2004). 223 pp.

David Thompson, professor of biblical studies, and his daughter Gina Thompson Eickhoff have teamed up to write a biblical prescription for family health. They believe there is benefit in pursuing “recovery issues in the context of Christian discipleship, in tandem with sound Bible exposition” (p. 8). The book begins with a candid look at the Thompson family’s journey out of darkness and a painful web of addiction. Part Two focuses on Scripture and insights from the “adult child recovery” movement. Thompson looks especially at Ephesians and what Paul teaches about the “discipleship recovery journey” in Ephesians 4. The eight insights from the “creation database” are instructive. In Part Three, Thompson works through Ephesians 4:25–5:2 verse by verse as part of the discipleship-recovery journal. As he looks at each issue, he tells us what we must repudiate and then shows what we must learn to do if we want lasting change. “From Delusion to Disclosure” (Eph. 4:25) teaches that we must “confront and be done with falsehood,” “learn to speak the truth,” and do so because of the “realities of human relationship.” Ephesians 4:26–27 deals with anger, 4:28 with parasitic relationships, and 4:29–30 with toxic talk and constructive communication. Even if you do not agree with all the details of Thompson’s exegesis, you can learn much by working through these practical chapters. Each chapter ends with helpful questions for reflection and application. This book has been translated into Japanese by JEMA office administrator Atsuko Tateishi (published by Japan Holiness Association and available on Amazon.co.jp as a Kindle book) and would be excellent for counseling or a group study on Ephesians 4. JH

Reviewer rating is 4 of 5 stars ★★★★☆