On December 10, 2008, Tenri University held the first "Faith Forum Lecture" at the Furusato Assembly Hall. Entitled "Between Faith and Academic Learning," the lecture was delivered by Dr. Shigeru Matsumoto, professor emeritus at the University of the Sacred Heart in Tokyo and head minister of Keigo Branch Church. Organized as part of the activities of the "Faith Forum," which has been newly created to help students, faculty, and staff members to cultivate their faith, the lecture drew a large audience that almost filled the auditorium's seating capacity of 248.

Dr. Matsumoto took the podium after the opening remarks were made by Tenri University President Taketo Hashimoto, who serves as chairman of the forum's steering committee. Dr. Matsumoto obtained a bachelor's degree in the history of religions from the University of Tokyo and a doctorate in comparative religion from the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. After returning to Japan, he became a professor at the University of the Sacred Heart and an instructor at Tenri University, in addition to becoming a church head minister. He has published several books on the Tenrikyo teachings, including three English pamphlets: Faith in Oyasama, In Quest of the Fundamental, and Modern Society and Spiritual Maturity. He has been involved with research on the Tenrikyo teachings from the viewpoint of a follower of Tenrikyo as well as a religious studies scholar.

In his speech, he looked back on his own life and discussed the relation between "faith and learning." Referring to a presentation on Tenrikyo he was asked to give at a conference in 1960, when he was a research assistant, he said: "That was a turning point for me in terms of coming seriously into contact with the Tenrikyo teachings for the first time because I had previously been negative toward the faith." A year later, when his father, then head minister of the church, fell ill, he canceled his plans to study in the United States and entered Shuyoka, the three-month Spiritual Development Course, of his own volition. "I would not have been able to make that decision if I had not deepened my understanding of the teachings in the previous year," he said. "God the Parent had, indeed, been guiding me so carefully to ensure that I would arrive at what I believe was the 'day of origin' of my faith." He was later able to study in the United States on the recommendation of the second Shinbashira, Shozen Nakayama, and his mentor, Dr. Hideo Kishimoto, then president of Japanese Association for Religious Studies.

Then he proceeded to speak about the relation between faith and academic learning from his own experience of being a church head minister as well as a researcher. He said that, when he told the second Shinbashira that he would strive to achieve a balance between his tasks as a church head minister and a scholar, the Shibashira said to him: "It is not a question of keeping a balance between those two. What you need to do is to base not only academic learning but also sports, arts, or whatever else you do on the faith." Dr. Matsumoto went on to tell his audience: "Though I may appear to have multiple jobs, I have always kept his words in mind as I have engaged in my tasks as church head minister ever since."

He concluded his speech by encouraging the students in the audience, saying: "Although it may be common for you young people to get disoriented, God the Parent will send you a message when the season is right. I hope that you will spare no effort to near the intention of God the Parent so as not to miss God's messages."

January 20, 2009 11:50JST