Soldier for Christ: A Novel

This little book is a true gem. It is centered on an examination of Japanese atrocities during World War II, with new information surfacing just as the Kobe Earthquake strikes in January, 1995. This makes for a remarkably economical way of posing a classic question: which does greater damage to the reputation of a supposedly all-good God, natural disasters like earthquakes (where He alone seems responsible) or large-scale human atrocities (where evil in its most radical form shows itself)? And how much more interesting the question becomes when it is posed by Christian missionaries living in Japan, given that the Japanese, who famously know shame, seem to know little of guilt. As a result the distinction between the human and the natural seems simply to melt away. For a Christian, this can awaken outraged new questions: Do they have any sense of responsibility? Do they know nothing of evil? And yet, the novel lets us see the calm dignity of a stoic people in the midst of actual disaster. Are they outrageous - or admirable? Such questions are not answered in this book, but they are raised in a highly effective manner.

A brilliant analysis of the limits of Empire .... just as the Japanese overextended themselves into Mongolia ... the occupiers of Japan (Americans) and their Christian servants ... offer little of meaning to ancient cultures ... Materialism the God of American History leaves a dry Christianity on other shores.

I liked the book and its very well written with a combination of the authors personnel beliefs and the places he has lived.