James Hudson Taylor: White Devil

I've not read it but this one has me excited.

A while ago I stumbled onto a project but didn't take much notice of it until I ran into it again recently to find it almost complete and now here it is. The folks over at OMF (formerly the China Inland Mission) whose missionary focus is aimed at East Asian peoples have put together a manga version of the James Hudson Taylor story, called White Devil.



As I've said, I've not read it so I have no idea as to its quality - one would hope and assume it greatly exceeds other comic form publications like Chick tracts (which while having some popularity would be ill received by those familiar with the quality and production of anime and manga) - but to see a missions organisation stepping out into this kind of popular territory is exciting. Obviously manga and its sister anime are more popular in the East which is their target audience for missions but being a viewer of anime here in the West when the medium is just about approaching main stream it is exciting. Those over at the Christian Anime Alliance have been working on producing a manga version of the classic Bunyan tale 'Pilgrim's Progress' and such ideas are hoped for excitedly by Christians who love the form of anime and manga yet find little material compatible with their faith.

The Church so often seems 'behind the times' and plays 'catch-up' with trends hitting society - only recently has the Christian music scene offered productions of equal standard to that which the 'non-religious' musicians and labels have been knocking out for decades. So then, even though this might be 'catch-up' for Christians in the East where manga is everywhere, perhaps something like this can ride along on the very same wave which is just now breaking on Western shores.

According to the website an anime (manga style animation) version is also coming soon and though I know next to nothing as to the effectiveness of such tools in mission in the East - there's a subject I'll have to brush up on - this whole thing, if it's done well, really excites me and fills me with hope. Especially when I think of the many talented and mature Christians for whom something like this could be a breaking new mission field. Christian Mangaka bringing their talents together for the Kingdom of God and telling the Christian story with boldness, skill and beauty.

The bold proclamation of Christianity is that it brings fulness to life. The most glorifying of acts is to appreciate, celebrate and enjoy the great variety and colour God has provided in this life seeing all of it as sacred. Christianity isn't about life in a church building it's about the redemption of the whole world and life in all its facets. Anime and manga have come about as one unique and beautiful way of expressing the life God has given us yet whereas they have, for so long, lacked the one thing that mattered most the beauty and center of our Saviour, King and Creator, perhaps now we'll find the Church able to step up and into this genre with natural ease to bring to the fore true and beautiful expressions of the message and love which is at our very heart.

One can only hope and pray.

In the meanwhile I think I'm going to check this publication out and I encourage all of you to enrich your lives with the various forms of life available to you as well as with the moving and inspiring stories of past Christian men and women. Saints who have thrown their lives away to offer God the fullest opportunity to express His love and desire through them, themselves gaining something even better. They are an encouragement and a challenge to us all. Let us live life to the full with mastery and devotion, beauty and divine expression.

For other expressions of faith through this medium, in various styles, check out:

Psychoteers

Christian Manga/Steelblood

Kingdom Come

Shelter of Wings

Or for more check out the Cognatio web-ring.

And once more, I have it as a link on the right, but for reviews, discussion, information and a whole lot more from a community of anime/manga-loving Christians - CAA

God bless.