Textbook-like writings on the persecution Catholics in Japan in the 1600's

books:


	• Silence Shusaku Endo Taplinger Publishing Company, 1980 - 201 pages average customer review:based on 59 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Textbook-like writings on the persecution Catholics in Japan in the 1600's

In the 1600's, Portuguese priests Rodrigues and Garrpe sneak in to Japan to proselytize. Kichijiro, a Japanese Catholic, helps them find a village of Christians, to whom they provide religious instruction in secret. Although they split up and hide out from the Japanese authorities once they realize they are in danger, they are both eventually caught, Rodrigues, the main character, after being betrayed by (like Judas) Kichijiro, who had already apostatized. During his imprisonment, he is forced to watch as many Christians are punished, tortured or killed for not renouncing their beliefs by trampling on a wooden fumie bearing the image of Christ. Tortures include being hung upside down in a pit of filth after having a wound placed near the ear such that the blood slowly drips out, and it is performed even after Christians have apostatized, the priest being forced to listen to their groaning, which he thinks is snoring.

When Garrpe goes into the water voluntarily following a group of Christians which is being killed by drowning, he himself drowns. Afterwards and with much anticipation Rodrigues is introduced to experienced Portuguese Catholic missionary, Ferreira, who was introduced at the start of the story as having apostatized after having dedicated 33 years to missionary work in Japan. Ferreira has been given the name of a dead man, his wife, child and home and is writing a book denouncing his religion at the time of their encounter.

The book's only real suspense is as to whether or not Rodrigues will trample the fumie, a ritual required by the government of Japan to be performed by all suspected Christians at regular intervals. There is some contact with, including some interesting philosophical conversations, the seemingly harmless, but dreaded Inoue, who is relentless in his attempts to ban Christianity from his country. One analogy discussed is of the inability of Christianity to grow in Japan as being like a tree planted in a swamp. It can not thrive in such an environment. The writing style seems choppy, disjointed and textbook-like. Although about an entirely different topic, Endo's The Girl I Left Behind would probably be better enjoyed by mainstream readers. C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce would be a good companion read to this novel.

for more information click here

Great reading

Very good book. Great portrait of the Christian missionairies in the 17th century and the courage of the early Christians in Japan who encountered persecution.

for more information click here

6 stars...could be the best book that I have read

Hard to put it into words. It would be offensive to call it fantastic or to describe it as a page turner because I don't want to characterize it a superficial novel on a bestsellers list. It is haunting but in a manner that causes the reader to consider Christ in a different light. Read this book, maybe devote an entire Saturday to it, and then reflect on what impact it could have on a world that needs to consider the compassionate Christ of the cross.

for more information click here

Beautifully insightful...

"Silence" is really something. It details a part of Christian history that I had never heard of -- the 17th Century torture of Portuguese missionaries who were selling an unwelcome message to the Japanese. Author Shusaku Endo based the novel on real events and people, changing a few names.

The story starts out with a missionairy, Roduigues, hearing that one of his own, Fr. Ferreira, has apostized. In disbelief, he travels with an ally to Japan. They hide out in a Christian village while they try to gain information on Ferreira. Eventually both are captured and go through torture similar to what Ferreira endured.

The novel, beautifully written (and translated), is a meditation on faith. What will someone do to hold on to what they believe, and what does giving it up under durress mean to their relationship with God? I won't give away what happens except to say that it perfectly clarified some questions I'd had about the power of Jesus Christ as a symbol in people's lives.

Highly recommended.

for more information click here

Strongly recommended for World History students

I found this book by accident while looking for novels by Maria Amparo Escandon. Since I was teaching Tokugawa Japan to ninth graders at the time, this seemed like a worthy and pertinent read. What I discovered is that this novel would have made an excellent companion in English class to what the students studied in history. They would have learned much about the landscape and lifestyles in Japan and just how "closed" to Westerners the islands became under Tokugawa Ieyasu.

The best part is that for adolescents the teacher can pose some thought-provoking discussion and essay questions on moral dilemma:

What would you have done in Rodrigues' place?
Is there anything you believe in enough to suffer for? Given Rodrigues' lifestyle, do you think he did the right thing?
Was it wrong for the Portuguese priests to enter Japan after the ban on missionaries? Was the shoganate right to punush them?
Write a memoir from the point of view of another character in the book.

I highly recommend this book to any World History/Literature teacher who is looking to expand her/his curriculum beyond the West.

for more information click here

reviews: 1, 2, page 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

hot

not?

What's your opinion?

Write a review and share your thoughts!

recommendations

books that bring back the joy of reading
Contemporary Literature: A Wishlist
The Stars Are Indispensible
A Few Good Books on Faith
Best Catholic Fiction

search for books
silence

Impressum / about us