ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the use of Christian themes and symbolism in two novels of the period – Kinoshita Naoe’s Hi no hashira (Pillar of Fire) and Nagayo Yoshir𠅍’s Seid𠅍 no kirisuto (The Bronze Christ). The investigation reveals the important role of Christianity in providing a narrative framework within which to argue against socially and historically imposed boundaries, and to explore, in absolute terms, the intersections between art, religion, and aesthetic representation in exotic settings that transcended historicity and time.
