, based at the Tokyo Bible Seminary, is a religious movement in Japan which was founded in 1948 by Ikurō Teshima. To grasp the inner truth of biblical religion, or the "Love of the Holy Spirit" as Teshima puts it, and extol this existential love by embodying it and living accordingly is the essence of the Makuyas' religious life. "Makuya" is the Japanese equivalent of the Hebrew word משכן mishkan, which refers to the Holy Tabernacle, the portable shrine where God and man encounter (Exodus 29:42–43). This name aptly captures the basic religious orientation of the Makuyas, who emphasize the significance of the personal, ineffable encounter with the divine presence in everyday life. This experience, according to them, must not, and indeed cannot, be substituted by a dogmatic belief in creeds or a stabilization of a religious institution; hence, the idea of the "portable" shrine, the Holy Tabernacle. Beliefs and tenets The Makuyas stress "a return to the dynamic faith of the original Gospel of early Hebraic Christianity, as opposed to the dogmatic, institutionalized, European-dominated churches." In their view, when biblical religion was introduced to the Hellenistic world, its lively spirit was interpreted within Greek logic and eventually replaced by a set of theological creeds. The Makuyas, thus, seek to restore this original spirit by returning to its Hebrew roots, and learning about the Bible accordingly. The Makuyas are not only concerned about individual salvation, they are also concerned about the spiritual restoration, or the enhancement, of each nation and social group. For example, they regard the contemporary value system of Japanese society as existentially deteriorated, overtly self-centered, with little consideration of fundamental moral virtues, traditional heritage, or the common and public good of the society as a whole. Unlike nearly all other Christians in Japan, the Makuyas, rather, respect their cultural heritage and seek to inspire, or "re-awaken" as they put it, the "existential spirit of the Japanese people." In this respect, many Japanese Shintoists and Buddhists who share the same concern support Makuya's cause. Further, the Makuyas do not seek to proselytize their faith to adherents of other religions, nor do they urge them to become Makuya members, because the Makuyas believe in religious pluralism, tolerance, and coexistence. In this sense, Makuya is best viewed, as they themselves see it, not as a "sect," but as a "movement," not as an "exclusive" but as an "inclusive" group. Unlike