Authors

Discussion

The paper focuses on diverse expressions of conciliarity that emerged at grassroots and institutional levels at the Russian Orthodox mission in Japan in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. The growth of Orthodoxy in Japan in the late 19^th century was linked with schools, catechism and vernacular Japanese biblical, liturgical and educational texts, thus contributing to the development of articulate Japanese clergy and lay catechists who provided leadership of both local Japanese Orthodox communities and of the mission itself from its beginnings. Under the leadership of the priest and later Bishop Nikolai (Kasatkin, 1836-1912), they gathered to deliberate on Japanese church affairs at annual councils of clergy and laity from 1874. Using Bishop Nikolai’s extensive diaries as a source, the paper will focus in particular on the lively discourse during the councils which took place during and after the Russo-Japanese war (February 1904-September 1905).  These brought into sharp focus potentially disruptive issues concerning the identity, governance, self-sufficiency and hierarchical leadership of the Japanese Church, as well as its relationship to the Russian and wider Orthodox Church.The paper will also focus on the ambivalent views on ecclesial conciliarity of Bishop Nikolai who on the one hand presided over the Japanese councils, promoted ecumenical relations with Anglicans and Episcopalians, and sent advice on holding councils to Bishop Tikhon (Bellavin) of America, yet was reluctant to promote the autonomy of the Japanese Orthodox Church.  It was in this context that the Russian Synod decreed in March 1906 to create an autonomous Archbishopric of Japan, although debates concerning an indigenous hierarchy continued into the 1920s-30s.