I think the Protestants would need to get to Japan first in that scenario.Based on Japanese history, I'd imagine the best way for Christianity to survive in Japan would be if the Shogun required Christians to be independent of any foreign powers.
Roman Catholicism, in particular, would be WAY to easy to function as a stalking horse for the Spanish Crown. Get someone to explain to the Shogun (or Emperor, or whomever) "Henry VIII" and "cuius regio, eius religio", and have a Japanese National Catholic Church, say.
I would think that it could easily be a major force, at least in Kyushu, where a couple of Daimyo's, iOTL, had converted.
Not really. The Shogun (or an emissary) quietly goes to the Christian daimyos and says 'You can set up your bishop in charge of a Japanese Catholic church, and we'll leave you alone, OR you, your family and your followers will be executed. Which would you prefer?'I think the Protestants would need to get to Japan first in that scenario.
Negligible influence. This idea that Christianity can win converts and have an impact "if only it wasn't persecuted!" is a horrible concept and plain wrong and assumes Christianity is superior.
Wasn't it? It became the worlds largest religion and its followers managed to conquer virtually everything in the world by the end of WWII, including Japan, with only most of China avoiding conquest. Christianity has by far the greatest potential for mass conversions going by the OTL.Negligible influence. This idea that Christianity can win converts and have an impact "if only it wasn't persecuted!" is a horrible concept and plain wrong and assumes Christianity is superior.
The USA did not conquer Japan in the name of Christianity, nor because it was a "Christian nation" (which it isn't). I suggest your ideas about Christianity and history are seriously flawed based on that statement and think you may want to clarify.Wasn't it? It became the worlds largest religion and its followers managed to conquer virtually everything in the world by the end of WWII, including Japan, with only most of China avoiding conquest. Christianity has by far the greatest potential for mass conversions going by the OTL.
It seems ahistorical to imply that religions all have similar abilities to spread.
I don't have any need to clarify.The USA did not conquer Japan in the name of Christianity, nor because it was a "Christian nation" (which it isn't). I suggest your ideas about Christianity and history are seriously flawed based on that statement and think you may want to clarify.
even the emperor himself?
Well, to be honest it didn't get very far even under Oda Nobunaga's protection. The Shinto institutions were strong. I don't see it making headway for another three generations, and even with butterflies I'm not seeing the old religion going below 75% by 2000 barring external occupation and intervention.
That said, there are plenty of ways Christianity could have affected Japan without converting a plurality of the masses or the shogunate. For example, the Otomo Clan might have risen to prominence as one of the trusted families of the Tokugawa. Or perhaps a tolerance might have allowed Nobunaga to conquer Japan (it's a long shot since Christianity isn't for or against any clan, but your POD is sufficiently early we might have butterflies on events down the line). the 13th Ashikaga shogun tolerated the missionaries and was on good terms with a young Nobunaga (who hadn't conquered Mino yet).
Based on Japanese history, I'd imagine the best way for Christianity to survive in Japan would be if the Shogun required Christians to be independent of any foreign powers.
Roman Catholicism, in particular, would be WAY to easy to function as a stalking horse for the Spanish Crown. Get someone to explain to the Shogun (or Emperor, or whomever) "Henry VIII" and "cuius regio, eius religio", and have a Japanese National Catholic Church, say.
I would think that it could easily be a major force, at least in Kyushu, where a couple of Daimyo's, iOTL, had converted.
Roman Catholicism, in particular, would be WAY to easy to function as a stalking horse for the Spanish Crown.
Negligible influence. This idea that Christianity can win converts and have an impact "if only it wasn't persecuted!" is a horrible concept and plain wrong and assumes Christianity is superior.
Tell that to the Philippines. Spanish tercios against swordsmen? I think a military conquest - especially with a loyal, local fifth column is entirely possible. More to the point, having Spanish (and Spanish trained) priests telling congregations/followers to oppose the 'pagan' government or to support Spanish trade concessions, or ....Not really; Spain's too far away, and 16th-century communications too bad, for the Spanish Crown to exert any influence over Japan.