The biblical people and the history of Israel
The history of Israel, the biblical people and the patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac and Jacob started about 4000 years ago. It is the history of the dramatic relationship between God and the people, a chronicle of downfall and rehabilitation. The missionaries of the Kingdom of God and the sufferings and resurrection of Jesus Christ are part of this history.
In the second century the Holy Scriptures written on scrolls made of vellum and papyrus were copied and bound books started to be produced. Since the 7th century there appeared versions of the Hebrew manuscript that included vocalization and accentuation, since the 9th century the Greek manuscript was generalized by writing in lowercase letters including accentuation and punctuation.
The surface of a Chinese Magic Mirror is like the surface of a common copper mirror, but if it is illuminated by light and this reflection is projected, the projection pictures a figurine on the wall. On the back it has an elevated pattern, because the depressions are very flat it can barely be recognized with the naked eye when looking at the surface, but from this unevenness a diffused reflection of the light is formed, this is the mechanism which projects the figurine.
However in the case of the exhibited model the pattern that is drawn on the back of the mirror and that is reflected when it is illuminated by light is completely different to others: it projects the image of Jesus Christ. The extremely high skill level proves that this is a masterpiece among the Chinese Magic Mirrors.
Judaism: the origin of Christianity
Christianity was started and developed in the first century due to an inner reformation of Judaism, that was caused by the Jewish born Jesus. The sacred scripture of Christianity, the Bible, consists of the sacred scripture of Judaism, the Hebraic Bible (the Old Testament, in form of the Greek Septuagint), to which the New Testament (Greek) was added.
The birth and growth of Christianity
The ideology of Jesus was spread widely; he as Christ (his god given title meaning “Savior”) and the confession of Christian faith was born. In the early days it suffered under the oppression of the Roman Empire, but from the 4th century on, while it was established as state religion, it expanded. Its theology and art made a big contribution on the formation of mankind’s intellectual legacy and culture.
The arrival of Christianity in Japan
Christianity was conveyed to Japan in 1549 by Francis Xavier、but starting with Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s 1587 established order to expel Christian priests, the religion went from being suppressed to being prohibited. The faith in God was continued in secret, though. In the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate the faith in God was revived. Since the prohibitions of Christianity were removed from the official bulletin boards in 1873, the doctrine spread more and more.
The transmitted Christianity first spread in the Kinki and then in the Kantō area, but became known because of the early Japanese Christian daimyos, the Shimebara Rebellion and the like, so that Kyūshū was the center of popularization. The famous „Fumi-e“ (pictures of Christ or Mary, where people had to step on, to prove that they did not believe in Christ) and the „Kakure Christians“ („Hidden Christians“) also were things that happened on Kyūshū. In the closing years of the Japans seclusion the revived Christianity also started on Kyūshū, which became a centre of missionary work since then.
Items that belonged to C.K. Dozier
In the Dozier Memorial Room items are displayed that belonged to Seinan Gakuin’s Founder Charles Kelsey Dozier (1979-1933) such as his desk, the piano on which his family played and also the Bible he used and his diary. Please get a taste of Seinan Gakuin’s early period’s atmosphere through this authentic items and photos.
On the desk lies the diary in which Dozier wrote in 1928 when he was 49 years old. At this time Dozier, who was the director of Seinan Gakuin University, was forced to retire as the director, because the “Sunday Problem” occurred: Dozier prohibited participating in any activities, that where not connected to Christian events, on Sundays (Christian Sabbath), to which the students vehemently opposed. Between the lines of his diary his love and anguish became condensed.
Exhibition Room II (Room for Special Exhibitions)
This room is used for special exhibitions.
For more information on special exhibitions please read the news on the top page.
The staircase between the first and second floor was used for a long time and many students walked up and down. Therefore in the middle of each step of the staircase a gentle depression has formed and the wood grain became visible.