| William Miller Kisselman Imbrie | |
|---|---|
William Imbrie |
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| Born | 1 January 1845 Rahway, New Jersey |
| Died | 4 August 1928 (aged 83) Evanston, Illinois |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Christian Missionary work in Japan |
| Religion | Christian (Presbyterian Church in the United States of America) |
William Imbrie (1 January 1845 - 4 August 1928) was an American missionary to Japan.
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William Imbrie was a 1865 graduate of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) and a 1870 graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary. He was ordained as a Presbyterian pastor in 1873.[1]
Imbrie arrived in Japan in 1875, where he became a professor of theology at the Meiji Gakuin University in Tokyo.[2]. He also served as the president of the Japanese Book and Tract Society.
In 1904, Count Katsura Tarō held an audience with Imbrie to articulate Japan's rationale for entering into the Russo-Japanese War. In the interview, Katsura denied that any religious motive was at work. "With differences of race or religion…it has nothing to do; and it is carried on in the interests of justice, humanity, and the commerce and civilization of the world."[3]. The dissemination of this interview paradoxically cast Japan as a defender of Christian civilization against Russian barbarism.[4]
In 1909, Imbrie was awarded the "Fourth Degree of the Order of the Rising Sun" by the government of Japan.[5]
Imbrie's former residence at Meiji Gakuin University in Tokyo has been designated the "Imbrie Pavilion" in his honor.[6]