"Since Francis Xavier established the Christian Church in Japan (1549), the Christian mission there has continued with varying degrees of success. In this book Robert Lee surveys the historical, political, social, cultural, and religious development in Japan from Xavier's time to the present." "The author argues that the Christian missionaries taught not only their faith but also the individualism of their culture. Such teachings clashed harshly with the collectivism of Japanese culture, and the Christian mission to Japan thus experienced slow growth. Such misunderstandings of Japanese culture by western Christian missionaries continues to affect the Christian mission in contemporary Japan."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved