Endo Silence
Endo Silence
Endo Silence
Table of Contents
Endo's Silence
SHUSAKU ENDO
Buddhist/Shinto Cosmology
Omni-presence of spirits (especially in Shintoism): Shin-to
(divine path)
Notion of suffering and its causes: birth is suffering, aging is
suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; union with
1
Endo's Silence
Endo's Silence
Endo's Silence
Christology
Sacraments (understandings of Baptism and Penance
especially)
Ecclesiology
Apostasy
Martyrdom
Genuine Inculturation vs. Syncretism or Theological
Imperialism
Endo's Silence
Endo's Silence
Endo's Silence
"And yet I would still venture the thesis that today we are
experiencing a break such as occurred only once before, that is, in
the transition from Jewish to Gentile Christianity." p. 723.
-->"This, then, is the issue: either the Church sees and recognizes
these essential differences of other cultures for which she should
become a world Church and with a Pauline boldness draws the
necessary consequences from this recognition, or she remains a
Western Church and so in the final analysis betrays the meaning
of Vatican II." p. 724
Endo's Silence
Background to Silence
First English Translation published in 1969.
Ideograms related to silence
Prologue
Opening Line: "News Reached the Church in Rome." [Where and
what is the "Church"?]
P. 7: "atone for the apostasy of Ferreira which had so wounded
the honor of the Church..."
His apostasy seen as a defeat for the Church and Europe
Endo's Silence
Endo's Silence
Ch. 2
Arrival in village of Tomogi Ch. 2
P. 24 Faith could not be compatible with Kichijiro's cowardice
(irony)
Rodrigues speaks of this "abandoned and desolate land" (his
arrival lessens this?)
Letter of Sebastian Rodrigues
Hopes about the mission.
Description of Kichijiros conduct during the storm on the boat,
and Rodrigues judgment that he couldnt possibly be a Christian,
since Faith could not turn a man into such a coward. p. 24.
First mention of Kichijiro as possible betrayer, like Judas: p. 26.
Endo's Silence
Ch. 3
Letter of Sebastian Rodrigues
Are the Japanese Christians abandoned because there are no
priests?? P. 31
P. 31: wants to let them know that they are not abandoned, since
now priests are with them. But hasn't Christ always been with
them??
Faith's continuance depends on the presence of priests?! p. 31.
Picture of the Japanese Church: modeled on that of Europe (a
poor imitation) cf. p. 32.
Latin as the "language of the Church" and same prayers, Angelus,
Pater Noster, etc.
Informers on priests receive 300 pieces of silver (ten times more
than Judas got for Jesus!), p. 33.
First real doubt expressed and beginning to ask a real theological
question: p. 34 "Why has God given our Christians such a
burden? This is something I fail to understand." [turn to the
Japanese]
Killing lice likened perhaps to killing of Christians, p. 36.
11
Endo's Silence
Endo's Silence
13
Endo's Silence
14
Endo's Silence
Endo's Silence
Endo's Silence
Endo's Silence
18
Endo's Silence
Endo's Silence
ut videntes Jesum
semper colltemur.
Bestow a pure life,
Prepare a safe way:
That seeing Jesus,
We may ever rejoice.
Rodrigues realizes the great reversal, that the Japanese are laying
down their lives for him instead of the other way around, p. 133
He prays that Garrpe apostatize to save the villagers, and says to
himself that he would.
Finally meets Ferreira, p. 141 ff
Ferreira talks about self deception, p. 142 (Zen)
He also talks of being of some use to the Japanese, translating a
book.
Also writing a book exposing the errors of Christianity
Yet God is still silent, p. 145.
Rodrigues' meditation on Gethsemane and the silence of God
Several Zen-type Koans in this chapter, see p. 146 on mercy and
self-abandonment.
20
Endo's Silence
Ch. 8
p. 157, Rodrigues still believes himself to be the image of Christ
in Japan
p, 159, consolation from drawing near to the suffering Christ
Deepening identification with Jesus Christ and his passion.
Significance of the words carved out by Ferreira in the prison
cell: Laudate Eum [which Rodrigues mistakenly believes has
been carved by a missionary "burning with faith" who had not
apostatized. p. 160]
Feeling of hearing the voice of Christ, speaking to him in the
midst of the suffering, p. 161.
21
Endo's Silence
Endo's Silence
Endo's Silence
24
Endo's Silence
********
25