The study of theology cannot be measured with the five human senses

I chose to study theology because I wanted to rethink “what it means to die” and “what kind of existence God has for human beings” after being touched by the death of someone close to me. Although I attended a Protestant high school, I was attracted to the soft expressions of Catholic prayer and applied to the Faculty of Theology of Sophia University.

Sophia is the only university in Japan with a Catholic Faculty of Theology. Another reason was that I wanted to learn about Christianity as well. The fact that most professors are priests was also an important factor. To be exposed to the ideas of people who have devoted their lives to Christianity and to live my student life with their guidance is a valuable experience that I would not trade for anything.

The study of theology is unique in that the subject of study cannot be seen, heard, or touched. You cannot find the existence of God without being a person. In other words, theology is a study that is possible only because it is human. It’s profound and enjoyable to think about how we can perceive and approach God with our thoughts instead of chasing after material goods.

What I like about the Faculty  of Theology is that the students value connection. When I joined Sophia, we were in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. With no entrance ceremony or in-person interaction, the seniors were worried about us new students who had fallen into a state of anxiety. They used social networking sites and Zoom to share useful information and follow up with new students. Everyone was proud of the seminary, and I felt a strong desire for everyone to get along and take care of each other. Now I get to spend time on campus with my classmates, and what really makes me happy is that I get to learn new perspectives and share ideas with them.

The lessons learned by studying theology are diverse and relevant to our contemporary society

What surprised me after entering university was that the study of theology is more diverse than I had imagined. Even if we look at Christianity as one topic, there is a wide range of fields within it. In fact, in my classes I learned not only about culture and history, but also about the meaning behind churches as a building and the nature of the groups that attend church.

As we study the Bible, we also have classes where we consider the ideas and teachings of the Bible in the context of contemporary issues. Social issues such as euthanasia and abortion, which are ethically questionable, are also discussed from a theological perspective. The process of discussing these topics broadened my perspectives, and I realized that just because a subject is old does not mean it is not relevant today; rather, theology is connected to modern society in many ways.

As I studied in the Department of Theology, my impression of “dialogue,” which is emphasized in Christianity, also changed. Before entering the department, I had an image of dialogue as a concept where I had to bring my own topics to talk about. I thought that dialogue was about giving advice and feedback, not just listening. But as I deepened my understanding of Christianity, I came to feel that the most essential part of dialogue is to accept the other person, and that sometimes simply listening is just as critical as talking. This is another lesson that is very useful in our society today.

Lately, I have been active in an organization that runs a summer camp for high school students. Students from other universities also participate in this group, but when I mention that I am a member of Sophia’s Faculty  of Theology, they are often interested. It makes me feel that I am engaged in a discipline that seems uncommon from the outside, and at the same time, it allows me to feel like an ambassador for the department.

Rebuilding my home community by valuing personal connections

The most significant growth I have made in the past two years has been in my attitude of asking myself questions. Compared to other studies, theology is a discipline that can be difficult to connect to employment. Nevertheless, I am in the Faculty of Theology because of what I want to learn. I must always make meaningful actions and choices, so I have developed the habit of asking myself questions. Even if the answers to those questions are not easy to find, I value what I learn about myself in the process of looking for them.

As I continue to make sense of this, what I find particularly useful about my studies at the Faculty  of Theology is when I look at today’s society from the perspective of “involvement.” In Christianity, relationships with others are essential, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, I know that in today’s society, people are reevaluating how they connect with each other. I, too, have always thought about how I myself would like to relate to and coexist with others in the future during my studies.

In the future, I would like to work for my hometown of Sendai in Northern Japan. I have seen with my own eyes how the Tohoku region was devastated by the 2011 earthquake and how it has gradually recovered from the disaster. I would like to contribute to the recovery and revitalization of the local area while building relationships with a diverse range of people by utilizing my experience and taking an approach that is possible only for me, a person who has always placed importance on interacting with others.

※Please note that the content of this article is current as of October 2021