In Japan – more than in any other country – the self-emptying that the not-I requires is linked with suffering, i.e. with human pain and with the pain of God. This fascination with suffering is reflected not only in theology but also in Christian literature (Endo). In the Japanese not-I theology (Takizawa and Yagi), the human is, in effect, the place where the divine (the not-I) manifests itself, whereas in the Japanese theology of the cross (Kitamori and Koyama) the divine is the place where the human aspect (suffering) manifests itself. In both cases there is a strong link between the divine and the human. With respect to God, this link could be characterized as vulnerable immanence and with respect to humans as a vulnerable desire for transcendence. This link also means that divine and human suffering cannot be kept separate from each other. But that immediately evokes the question of who can relieve the suffering, assuming that mere sympathizing with those who suffer does not relieve it.

One's relationship with one's ancestors is all-determinative in Korea. At the same time, that relationship is the major point of dispute among Korean Christians. Does that relationship stand in the way of one's relationship with Jesus or does it clarify the latter?