A History of Jesuit Missions in Japan: Evangelization, Miracles and Martyrdom, 1549–1614

The Catholic Church sent Jesuits to Japan in the aftermath of the Protestant Reformation, who adopted a different evangelization strategy. Japan became a place of experimentation and development of global Catholicism, with the Jesuit fathers developing conversion strategies for different groups. However, the project failed due to hostility from the Japanese ruling class, cultural differences, and internal rivalries within Catholicism. This book provides valuable insights into the history of the Jesuits, Catholic missions, and Christianity in Japan.

Format: Hardback
Length: 108 pages
Publication date: 13 December 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

In the wake of the profound religious upheaval sparked by the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic Church embarked on a mission to win over converts in uncharted territories. The first missionaries to reach Japan were the Jesuits, who were compelled to adopt a distinct evangelization strategy. Instead of a top-down approach, they adopted a bottom-up approach, reaching out to individuals and communities at the grassroots level. This volume reveals that Japan emerged as a fertile ground for the experimentation and development of a global Catholicism, serving as an unparalleled laboratory for the encounter between political, scientific, and religious cultures in the early days of globalization. It delves into the diverse conversion strategies employed by the Jesuit fathers toward various groups, including samurai, Buddhist monks, and Japanese peasants. A pivotal moment was the missionaries' appropriation of sacred spaces, which they achieved through both violent means, such as the construction of massive crosses and the destruction of temples, pagodas, and pagan idols, and more flexible and accommodating approaches, such as incorporating pre-existing cultural practices into their religious practices. However, the Jesuit fathers had to navigate a delicate balance between embracing local culture and spirituality and maintaining their core Christian beliefs and practices. This book also explores the reasons behind the failure of this ambitious Catholic conversion project. Factors such as the hostility of the Japanese ruling class, the inherent differences in culture and spirituality, and internal rivalries within Catholicism, particularly between the Jesuits, Franciscans, and Dominicans, played a significant role in hindering the success of the mission. Nevertheless, this book makes a substantial contribution to the literature on the history of the Jesuits, Catholic missions, and Christianity in Japan.

Weight: 268g
Dimension: 142 x 223 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032229775