Western Christian Attitude Toward Eastern Martial Arts: Problems of Negative Approach

Abstract

The Christian world is diverse, with differing views and expressions of theological thought. Approaches to the same phenomena are often ambivalent. One such area is Oriental religions and traditions. Some Christians see everything that comes from the East as manifestations of demonism or occultism. Other part of Christians seek dialogue and do not consider Oriental traditional practices to be bad, moreover, sometimes successfully integrating some elements into their faith system. The article is about the martial arts of the East. Christians tend to view them as idolatry and practices incompatible with Christianity. The teaching of the Roman Catholic Church does not say anything specific about the martial arts of the East, but there is a rather positive position on the question of Eastern religions and philosophy. Of course, there are individual groups that assess the martial arts negatively or even demonize them in the Roman Catholic Church itself. These groups fight against the martial arts of the East, in opposition to theological inferences that often do not coincide with either the biblical view or what the Eastern martial arts and orientalist philosophical thought, traditions, and etiquette really are.