Paul Rusch in Postwar Japan

The McDonalds have produced a highly readable and wide-ranging account of a crucial, complicated, and conflicted figure, whose life in and out of 20th century Japan connected him to many of the country's most significant events and developments. Reading Paul Rusch in Postwar Japan not only acquaints one with the life and work of Paul Rusch—it also provides one with a quick but comprehensive social history of Japan, from its cultural tumult of the 1920s through its peaceful return to global power in the 1970s.

~Jeffrey L. Richey, author of Confucius in East Asia: Confucianism's History in China, Korea, Japan, and Viet Nam

Paul Rusch was many things: an idealist, a visionary, a missionary, an evangelist for American culture in Japan, a lover of Japan and its people. The authors portray a man trapped between his ideals of international engagement and global political and military realities. This work is a fascinating exploration of the multiple tensions in which Rusch found himself, especially that between his commitment to the kingdom of God and the realpolitik of his time. The authors explore Rusch's world and his passions, and examine the impact of his life against the backdrop of World War II and in comparison to his own visions. The work will be of tremendous value for those seeking to understand Japan's descent into war, as well as the role of American missionaries during this critical time in global history.

~Randy Kluver, author of Civic Discourse, Civil Society, and Chinese Communities

A fascinating story of Paul Rusch, founder of KEEP, and an important figure in postwar US–Japan relations. The McDonalds' well-written book weaves together Rusch's life story with the tumultuous history of Japan's relations with the United States from the militarism of the 1930s to the economic resurgence and democratization of the postwar years. It makes an important contribution to our knowledge about the history of US–Japan relations.

~Gerald L. Curtis, author of The Logic of Japanese Politics: Leaders, Institutions, and the Limits of Change

The McDonalds' account... places Rusch in a broader context of US-Japan relations, surrounding the period of Japan's entry to the Pacific War and the US fight against communism. It is both readable for the general audience as a biography of a historically significant—although not necessarily widely known—figure, and informative for scholars interested in Japanese modern history, US diplomatic history, and the history of international relations.

~H-Net Reviews

[Paul Rusch in Postwar Japan] marvelously grounds Rusch's life and KEEP's legacy in the themes of faith, help, and hope, providing common ground for a variety of readers. In the end, the authors accomplish their task of 'explor[ing] Paul Rusch's contributions to the shaping of a postwar Japan and how his legacy, the Kiyosato Educational Experiment Project, continues to influence the world in the twenty-first century.'

~The Journal of Southern Religion