Silence by Shasaku Endo, William Johnston, William Johnston (Translator)
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(Paperback)
- Pub. Date: March 1980
- 201pp
- Sales Rank: 22,891
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Product Details
- ISBN-13: 9780800871864
- ISBN: 0800871863
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- Ratings: 7Reviews: 7
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Silenceby Anonymous
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March 07, 2007: This is a nice work of fiction. Some may feel this book should be categorized with Christian Inspiration due to the fact that it is heavily influenced by Christian fables. Japanese historians would find this story flawed and inaccurate with a mostly pessimistic view on Japense culture which is true. However this is a work of fiction and should be viewed as such. The novel's point of view is biased, but then again so are most other books...right?
Silenceby Anonymous
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August 23, 2003: In 1614, Japan banished Christianity, and from 1619, it began to execute Christians. Later, it opted on more excruciating measures by torturing Christians to death until they apostatized. The Church, afraid that Christianity might die out in Japan, sent some missionaries to spread Christianity secretly in Japan and work underground. However many of the fathers were caught, d, and killed by the Japanese officials. The Church had been receiving letters from Father Ferreira about the conditions of Christians in Japan and other news, until suddenly the letters stopped coming. Worried and curious about what could have happened to the Father, the church, few years later, sends Father Rodrigues and Father Garrpe on deadly mission to find what became of Father Ferreira and to report on the condition of the Christians in Japan. A Japanese man called Kichijiro leads the two fathers to Japan. Kichijiro is Christian, but vehemently denies it. After arriving at Japan, Kichijiro brings them to a where there are Christians. The villagers are ecstatic, that finally fathers have come to guide them and hear their sufferings. The villagers build a hideout for the fathers to live secretly so that the guards won?t find out. However, luck runs out and the guards hear the rumors that there are two priests in hiding. They ransack the village and take three villagers, whom they tie up on big pole and leave them at the shore until tide comes and drowns them. Anguished the fathers decide to split up and leave the village. Father Garrpe goes north while Father Rodrigues makes his way toward Nagasaki where he heard are hundreds of Christians in hiding. However, on his way, Father Rodrigues finds Kichijiro, who tricks him and leads him directly to the guards. The guards put the Father in prison for many days, starving and thirsty. They command him to apostatize, but he refuses. Then the guards tie him, and drag him around the town. They command him to apostatize, but he refuses. Then they take him back to the prison and leave him in the prison without any water or food. During this time, Father Rodrigues learns that Father Ferreira is still alive. A few days later Father Rodrigues encounter Inoue, ?the terror for the Christians. (35)? Inoue says that Father Rodrigues will sooner or later apostatize, just like the other, just like Father Ferreira. According to him, the ?swamp of Japan will swallow him.? Inoue challenges Father Rodrigues by asking, why the God remains silent while his people are suffering. Then Inoue says that unless the Father apostatizes, other Christians in the prison, even the ones who had apostatized will be hung upside down from a tree all their blood is drained out of the body. Now, the Father is torn between whether he should apostatize for the sake of others or whether he should let them suffer and hold strong to his faith. Furthermore, he starts wondering why God is silent. This is an excellent book; I simply couldn?t put it down until the last page. I think it provides an interesting angle on how the Japanese looked at Christianity and the situation of Japan at that time. Furthermore, it?s a very powerful and moving book for both Christians and non-Christians.
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