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A premium essay by J.C. Howard · The Golden Manifest Journal

The Cross Before the Flag: Christianity, Colonialism, and Japan’s Refusal

Conceptual storm scene in which a European ship bearing a cross approaches Japan, with Mount Fuji and a torii gate beyond.

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Why this essay matters

A deconstructed evangelical reads Japan’s Christian suppression through empire, slavery, hell, political loyalty, and the violence of conscience.

Opening lines

I grew up in an American form of Christianity that knew exactly how to tell the story of Japan.

Francis Xavier arrived.

The Gospel spread.

People converted.

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