Review: God is Rice

I first saw God is Rice listed on the public library catalogue, and it intrigued me as I have a small collection of Christian books regarding the Chinese or other Asian cultures. I really did not know what to expect until the book arrived, upon which I learnt that it was the compilation of four lectures given by Masao Takenaka back in early 1985. Reading the preamble, it looks like the author had been involved in missions work in Asia between 1959 and 1973, which would have been a fascinating time in history. Takenaka passed away 17 years ago, but leaves a legacy of rich thinking on Christian faith from an Asian perspective.

Book Synopsis

"When we say that God is rice . . . we take rice as the symbol of God's gift of life." 

The provocative title is actually the title of the first essay in the book that explores how the gospel calls us to live in harmony with nature and neighbor, to secure just social organizations and be open to renewal. "The Community of the Magnificat" is a penetrating study of the interaction between Christ and culture in Asia. "The Ethics of Betweeness" is a case study of Sozo Tanaka who was one of the pioneers of the ecological movement and the people's movement in Japan. "Christ of Wabi" is a Christian reflection on beauty in the Japanese cultural context.

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

I really wanted this book to become one that I would add to my library; however, I found it difficult to follow along as the author mostly speaks from his Japanese background (rightly so, though the author was born in China), and mine is Chinese. While there are some similarities, such as the concept of bread being a foreign product and how rice is the daily sustenance found in Asia, a lot of the other themes were not as relatable to me, including the four dimensions of atmosphere (shakkei), the impact of nature (udo), and the old home village (furusato). If the subtitle of the book was identified as Japanese culture, I might have known more of what to expect, as mentioned in the book's introduction. In that sense, this was an excellent resource in further learning about Japanese Christianity. There is a brief section on the Chinese community, and it is likely applicable to other Asian cultures as well, where the author quotes the saying that, "if a Chinese [person] became a Christian, it meant the nation lost one Chinese [person]." This makes a lot of sense and is further elaborated on by stating that Christianity came to Asia cloaked as a (foreign) Western religion, and that Chinese Christians have had to undertake the processes of the "de-Westernization of Christianity" and the "Chinization of Christianity."

 

In conclusion, God is Rice is poetic and introduces beauty, art, and visual depictions of Jesus from an Asian perspective, so in that regard, this book would be interesting to read for an eastern glimpse of Christian faith. Its audience would be quite niche, but there is a lot to unpack in this small volume. The author introduces Japan's values and ideals within a Christocentric worldview, and expresses his desire for Asian Christians to live in harmony with their culture where it enhances expressions of faith.

Book Summary

• Format of book: 📖
• Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
• Recommendation: 👍 (with the caveat that this book would be for very specific people—Japanese Christians would gain the most value)
  

Book Quotes

The gospel is like a running stream of eternal water. Culture is like an earthly vessel that holds the water.... While the essence of the gospel is universal, the ways in which it is interpreted and expressed are uniquely local.