About the Project
Vision
A global Christian community which embodies the faithfulness of Jesus Christ in the countries, cultures, and communities in which we live.
Mission
Establish a forum to explore the faithfulness of Jesus Christ as foundational to our understanding of the Scriptures, living our individual lives, unifying the church, and impacting the world.
Meaning of the Logo
The Christian life takes shape through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ as we, at the foot of the cross, are joined in communion with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
History
A fortuitous meeting in 2014 of two Japanese Christian scholars led to a collaboration on the topic of Romans 3:22 and its emphasis on the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. The setting was the 50th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Clark Bible Study at Hokkaido University in Japan.
Dr. Masao Uenuma, a Christian theologian and one of the original founders of the bible study group as a student there, had been invited to deliver the keynote address. Dr. Kei Chiba, a lifelong Christian and professor of philosophy at the university at that time, was the faculty advisor to the group. Dr. Uenuma, in his address, referred to the more recent translation of Romans 3:22 (“through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ”). In a conversation afterwards, the two scholars discovered a mutual interest in the accuracy and meaning of the translation of Romans, which Dr. Chiba had studied for many years. Thus began a friendship between the two and a sharing of insights across the two disciplines—theology and philosophy.
Dr. Chiba’s interest in this topic is both personal and academic. He was raised in a Christian tradition which emphasizes rigorous Bible study and understanding of the original languages. He had heard that Romans 3:21-31 is central to understanding Scripture, but also one of the most difficult passages to comprehend. This was one of the main catalysts for Dr. Chiba’s interest in the Greek language and philosophical context in which the Apostle Paul was writing, which led to a doctorate in philosophy at Oxford University.
Meanwhile, Dr. Uenuma, who had become a Christian in high school, studied philosophy at Hokkaido University and went on to earn a doctorate in theology. He has spent his career in scholarly examination of Scripture and relating its concepts to lay Christians. Because of his background dealing with the theological nuances of Romans, he immediately recognized the significance of Dr. Chiba’s work.
Over subsequent years of conversation, it has become increasingly clear that the convergence of philosophy and theology in clarifying the meaning of Romans 3:22 has broad implications for Christianity as a whole.
In 2020, as Dr. Uenuma discussed these topics with his son Maurice on a drive through central Illinois, the idea for The Faithfulness Project was born…
Our Team
Kei Chiba, Ph.D.
Professor of Philosophy (retired), Hokkaido University, Japan
Dr. Chiba is an Oxford-educated expert in Aristotle and a committed Christian, who has applied rigorous analytical tools to gain insights into Paul’s presentation of the Gospel. He has used semantic analysis of the original Greek language to uncover the accurate meaning of the text through a careful examination of the structure and sequence of words. A long-time philosophy professor at Hokkaido University, Dr. Chiba recently completed a decades-long development of the topic of faithfulness, Aristotle, and the Book of Romans, in his book, Philosophy of Faithfulness, published in Japanese in 2018. Dr. Chiba holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from Keio University, and a Doctor of Philosophy from Oxford University.
Masao Uenuma, Th.D.
President, Japanese Bible and Theology Ministry (JBTM)
Dr. Uenuma is a Japanese Christian theologian who has studied and written extensively on Scripture and life. He has authored books on various topics, including the story of Job and loss, God who meets us in darkness, listening to God, and God and fatherhood, published in Japanese. Other recent projects have included translation of N.T. Wright’s book, Simply Christian into Japanese. He served as a seminary professor and pastor of several churches in Japan and the United States before founding JBTM to enable greater theological understanding among Japanese Christians. Dr. Uenuma holds a Bachelor of Arts from Hokkaido University, a Master of Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a Doctor of Theology from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.
Maurice Uenuma
Facilitator, The Faithfulness Project
Maurice is a veteran, cybersecurity executive, and business leader, who is passionate about Christian impact in a rapidly changing, technology-shaped world. He served as an Infantry and Special Operations Officer in the United States Marine Corps before transitioning to the information technology and cybersecurity fields. He currently serves as Vice President & General Manager, Americas, for a global software company. Maurice is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, holds a Master of Arts from Georgetown University, and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.