In July 1977, Shōchō visited President Sadat and urged him to make peace with Israel. This was one of the triggers that led to Sadat’s dramatic journey to the Knesset in Israel.
The book will be published in “The History of Ideas” The Critical Companion Series under the auspices of the Dangoor Centre
By Jessica Mintz
This work explores the life and legacy of the Japanese Buddhist Leader Rev. Shōchō Hagami (1903–1989), to examine how interfaith dialogue has the potential to impact both the moral solidarity of humanity and to enhance global political discourse. The first part of this book offers a translation of documents that reveal the life and thoughts of Shōchō Hagami in his own voice. The second part delves into the Buddhist background, modern historical context, and interfaith activities in Japan that are crucial for contextualizing these translations. The publication of this book is significant, as Hagami’s work and legacy, including his role in fostering the Egypt-Israel peace treaty in 1979, have yet to receive international recognition. Additionally, while there is a considerable amount of literature on Buddhism, Japanese culture, and interreligious dialogue in Hebrew and foreign languages, there is a notable scarcity of works written by Japanese authors. This book aims to fill that gap, providing readers with a uniquely Japanese perspective and original content.
Throughout his spiritual journey, Hagami came to believe that it was his duty as a Buddhist and indeed as a human being, to do whatever he could to bring the world closer to peace. When Sōgen Asahina (朝比奈宗源, 1891–1979), a major Buddhist leader in modern Japan, asked Hagami to travel to Egypt to try and foster reconciliation between the Roman Catholic and Islamic religious groups, who were at odds over the issue of Jerusalem, Hagami decided to dedicate the remainder of his life to this cause. In 1975, he travelled to Egypt and met with the Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar University, who, the following year, voyaged to Japan to participate in the Religions for Peace Convention hosted by the Japan Religious Committee of the World Federalist Movement, an inter-denominational organization dedicated to the promotion of world peace. Soon after, Hagami traveled to Egypt again to meet with then-President Anwar Sadat, who was, like Hagami, deeply devoted to his faith. They shared common ideas of bringing about peace and bridging religious divides, and Hagami explained how Buddhism advocates for tolerance and respect of all other religions.
This meeting would play a pivotal role in the trajectory of Egyptian-Israeli relations, with Hagami urging President Sadat to take the first steps toward peace between Muslims, Jews, and Christians. That same year, President Sadat made the unprecedented trip to Israel’s Knesset in Jerusalem. Hagami praised this decision and suggested to President Sadat that once the Sinai Peninsula was returned to Egypt, he should hold a joint prayer ceremony with Jews, Christians, and Muslims for world peace at Mount Sinai. There could be no denying the influence Hagami had on President Sadat when, upon the signing of the Egypt-Israel peace treaty and the return of the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt, Hagami received an invitation from the president to join him at Mount Sinai for an interfaith prayer service. There, on November 19, 1979, after a prayer ceremony that was joined by Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike, President Sadat spoke of the shared Abrahamic ancestry of the three religions and expressed his intention to build a temple for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in that very spot. He appealed to followers of all religions to join in the effort to bridge divides, cease conflict, and promote peace. Hagami believed that Buddhists bear a unique responsibility to act as a bridge between religions or peoples divided. He wrote: “[y]esterday’s enemy is today’s friend. This attitude encapsulates the spirit of equality, treating enemies and allies alike (怨親平等), and it manifests the heart of Buddhism.”
The editor, Job Jindo (איוב ג׳ינדו), specializes in the Hebrew Bible, Semitic Philology, and Comparative Religion. He is a faculty member and associate professor at the Academy for Jewish Religion in the United States. Previously, he taught at the New York University (NYU) School of Law, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and the National University of Singapore. He served as director of academic programs at NYU’s Tikvah Center for Law & Jewish Civilization. In 2019, he was also a visiting scholar at Bar Ilan University, teaching Bible courses. His research interests range from biblical criticism to ancient Near Eastern studies, comparative religion (particularly East Asian Buddhism), Jewish biblical interpretation (classic and modern), mindfulness practices, the New Testament in light of its Jewish backgrounds, and cross-cultural and cross-religious dialogue. He holds a BA from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Bible/Talmud), an MA from Harvard University (Hebrew Bible/Old Testament), and a PhD from the Jewish Theological Seminary (Bible and Ancient Semitic Languages, with distinction).
