Description
Book SynopsisIn 1614 the shogunate prohibited Christianity amidst rumors of foreign plots to conquer Japan. But more than the fear of armed invasions, it was the ideological threat--or spiritual conquest--that the Edo shogunate feared the most. This book explores the encounter of Christianity and premodern Japan in the wider context of global and intellectual history. M. Antoni J. Ucerler examines how the Jesuit missionaries sought new ways to communicate their faith in an unfamiliar linguistic, cultural, and religious environment--and how they sought to re-invent Christianity in the context of samurai Japan. They developed an original moral casuistry or cases of conscience adapted to the specific dilemmas faced by Japanese Christians. This volume situates the European missionary enterprise in East Asia within multiple geopolitical contexts: Both Ming China and Warring States Japan resisted the presence of foreigners and their beliefs. In Japan, where the Jesuits were facing persecution in the midst of civil war, they debated whether they could intervene in military conflicts to protect local communities. Others advocated for the establishment of a Christian republic or civil protectorate. Based on little-known primary sources in various languages, The Samurai and the Cross explores the moral and political debates over religion, law, and reason of state that took place on both the European and the Japanese side.
Trade ReviewThe monograph successfully resets the history of the Jesuit enterprise in Japan in its conflicts and challenges, leading to a significant reassessment of how their efforts, decisions, and strategies are understood...The Samurai and The Cross is an excellent guide for those interested in the intellectual work of Jesuits in Japan. * Rômulo da Silva Ehalt, Journal of Early Modern History 27 *
Those who are taking their first steps into the Jesuits' history in early modern Japan will find The Samurai and the Cross a pleasure to read and most rewarding... In The Samurai and the Cross, a rich historical record replete with valuable references awaits the readers. One of the strengths of Ucerler's book lies in the care taken to provide in the endnotes bibliographical data not only on the primary sources discussed (especially frequent of the Archivum Romanum Societatis Iesu (ARSI) collections), but also to include - where available - their critical editions or translations in several languages (in most cases Spanish or Portuguese). * Sophie Takahashi, Contemporary Japan *
