It seems that Shinto is older than the Jewish religion. The link below provides some proof of my findings:

http://mysticalshinobi.wordpress.com/shinto-predates-ancient-babylon/

As to Lee’s book, his thesis has a degree of plausibility because there are similarities. But without turning to history and working out a logical and sound explanation of how it is possible, it will always be a fringe thesis. The problem is that at times he can’t keep the story straight. Take for example the discussion of the myth of Amaterasu at the beginning of chapter. There are actually two versions of the same myths between the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki and yet he doesn’t make that clear or addresses how the Kojiki myth (the myth which paints thing differently and subsumes into the Nihongi version) affects the thesis. This along with the math mistakes demonstrate a lack of thoroughness which weakens the thesis because it basically says to scholars you’re not keeping the facts straight. These kinds of mistakes seriously weaken the argument in the minds of scholars.

As to your kanji study, what you’re doing is something that was done in Japan as well. My professor brought this up in her first book. She called it etymological paranomasia, where kanji are analyzed into their component parts and shown to have a deeper meaning. So it’s nothing new, the only thing that has changed is that you’re using Christianity instead of esoteric Buddhism like the poets she and I study did. But how many Japanese people even know about the paranomasia that she and I encounter?

I do have a passion for knowledge, deep thought, and intellectual curiosity though I myself am not a scholar on your scholarly level. But I have taken seminary classes, one of which was the Christian History. I found that documentary you told me about but haven’t had time to watch it yet, is there anything in it that a class on this subject might not cover? Either way I look forward to watching it soon.

I am very open to the mistakes you see with Lee’s book. In your opinion based on scholarship, do you have any other problem with Lee’s book? Would it be possible to list those out? In light of the scholarship issues could Lee’s theories still be plausible? I would really appreciate your thoughts. Up until this conversion with you no one has approached me with criticism to Lee’s book and or theories, especially someone with credibility. At some point I would like to invite Samuel Lee to give a response to these criticisms.

Also, there is no doubt that Japan has a huge influence from China. For me its so obvious that I guess I haven’t said much about it. I am very interested in what you said about how Japan has preserved linguistic information that was lost in China with the fall of the Tang Dynasty. Have you seen my post in which I explore how Genesis could possibly be revealed in Chinese characters. I did a 6 part series on this and though I am sure that it is not up to par with scholarship that you would accept, I would appreciate your thoughts… especially with part 1 and part 2. Its just something else that I found very interesting that I think could possibly be used to contextualize the gospel in Japan.

Got the book and read it today. The latter half of it is a summary of stuff you can find in more detail in serious studies; however the first half is basically summed up as “making a mountain out of a molehill.” Are there similarities between some of things in Jewish and Japanese culture–yes. But the problem lies in how to contextualize it. No thought is giving to the role China plays in a lot of these things since China was the cultural center of Asia during the Tang Dynasty.

Furthermore his argument that Christian should do like the Assyrian Church and listen to the Japanese loses weight when he dismisses all scholarship on Japan as being conservative and opposed to his theory. As a scholar, I’m already put into a class when I haven’t even been giving a chance. That only makes the mistakes Lee makes more noticeable and in turn weakens his theory. He needs to take his own advice and listen to what scholars have to say and not make Japan into a Jewish state.

That’s my 2 cents, feel free to respond back.

I said I might take a look at the book; I didn’t dismiss it completely. I am rather busy between writing my dissertation and now filling out applications for post-docs, jobs, and a fellowship to go back to Japan. As you suggest I look at the book, I would advise you to look for the 6 part BBC documentary “A History of Christianity.” It represents the kind of study that I think works and that Lee’s work will be measured against.

I think guys like Martin Luther, Augustine, and John Calvin are great. All I’m saying is that you should actually read Lee’s book before scrutinizing and blowing it off. Let me guess, you just went to Amazon.com and read the preview, did you even make it to the second chapter? What about all the cultural and language comparison? Most of the book actually focuses on the history of Christianity in Japan in which Lee shows compelling evidence that this began some 2,000 years ago. Most Christian and Catholic traditions only believe this history began 500 years ago. Do you have anything to say about Lee’s research concerning that?

For anyone who has actually been to Japan you have to admit that similarities between ancient Jewish and Japanese culture are at the least interesting and can’t be so easily dismissed as mere coincidence.