NEWS
2026.10.20
- Study Group
- Research Organization
event
11/20 (Fri) Musashi University The 16th Meeting of the East-West Cultural Fusion History Study Group will be held
[Date & Time] November 20, 2026 (Fri) 16:00~18:00
[Method of holding] The event will be held both in person and online (there will be no technical support for participating via Zoom).
Location: Musashi University Professor Research Building 02C Meeting Room
The Zoom ID will be sent to you by email closer to the event date.
[Online Registration Deadline] Thursday, November 19, 2026 *Advance registration required
*No registration is required for on-site participation. Please come directly to the venue.
Overview
The United States is considered to have been born as a "land of freedom," but when you consider things like black slavery or indentured service, that is a one-sided understanding. Religiously, the existence of colonial-level Established Churches/Privileged Churches also has aspects that contradict "freedom." Puritans formed such privileged sects. However, in Pennsylvania, where diverse peoples, including German immigrants, settled, such privileged sects did not exist. From the beginning, freedom and diversity of religion were valued there. For this seminar, we have invited Professor Steven Nord of Elizabethtown University (Pennsylvania), who has led research on the world of Pennsylvania Germans (Dutch), which was part of their diversity, as well as the faith and culture of Anabaptist denominations such as the Amish and Mennonites (Free Church). We are inviting Professor Stephen Nolt of Elizabethtown University (Pennsylvania) to present a report on the society, culture, and religion of Pennsylvania-German people spread across the eastern and midwestern United States from a historical perspective. The presentations will be conducted in English, but the moderator will supplement the report in Japanese as appropriate, so please feel free to participate.
Program ※Titles omitted
| 16時00分 |
Opening remarks by Professor Tomoji Odori representative of the research group (Musashi University)
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|---|---|
| 16時05分～17時00分 |
Presentation in English: Professor Steven Nolt (Elizabethtown College)
“The World of the Pennsylvania Germans: Religious Freedom and Diversity”
(The World of Pennsylvania German: Freedom and Diversity of Religion)
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break
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| 17時10分～17時30分 |
Comment in English: Tomoji Odori (Professor Tomoji Odori)
“Two Faces of America: Freedom and Coercion”
(Two Americas: Freedom and Coercion)
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Q&A
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| 18時00分 |
Closing remarks Information on the next regular meeting
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[Recent research by presenters and commentators]
Steven Nolt, Foreigners in Their Own Land (Pennsylvania German History and Culture), Penn State Press, 2009; Stephen Nolt, 'A History of the Amish: From the Reformation to the Present' translated Tomoji Odori (Akashi Shoten, 2026)
Applications and inquiries
Research group members and university affiliates do not need to apply in advance. Those from outside the university who wish to participate online must apply in advance. Please fill out the form below and press the "Submit" button.
Application deadline: Thursday, November 19
[Responsible person] Shino Kobayashi (Research Assistant, Institute for Comprehensive Research, University of Tokyo)
[Secretariat] Musashi University President's office Management Division (Research Support Section)
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