Silence

Oliver Jia, NCTA Student Worker
Shūsaku Endō’s Silence is probably the most famous work of Japanese literature that deals with the subject of Christianity. Writing from the rare perspective of a Japanese Catholic, Endō’s novel takes place during Japan’s Tokugawa-era persecution of Christians and draws upon actual historical events and real figures. It achieved significant praise both at home and abroad, establishing Endo as one of the most acclaimed Japanese writers of the 20th century and was also the basis for multiple film adaptations. Regardless of the faith of readers, I think that the majority will find Silence to be a surprisingly nuanced examination of Christianity in Japan. It is not overly ideologically bound to one side and raises serious questions that challenge the nature of religious faith. Both believers and non-believers alike should find it compelling.
Silence is appropriate for the middle school level, but it would likely only resonate with a more mature high school audience due to the novel’s heavy themes and subtext which require considerable critical analysis. It would be a good fit for a history course examining the West’s relations with Asia or a general religious studies course. The translation is very readable and does a good job of capturing the nuance of Endō’s original work, likely because the main protagonists are Portuguese. It is overall a very unique novel that I think teachers can find much value in.

On the surface, Silence is an historical and fictional account of 17th Christian missionary struggles in Japan and the ensuing theological debate brought on by personal doubt. The tenacity of the persecution is certainly consistent with other accounts of Christian martyrdom, and may serve as an uncomfortable shock to unsuspecting readers. But the application of this book is not limited to a theological witness or profession of the Catholic faith. Teachers will find that Silence has a great capacity to open up debate about the intersection of faith and culture, and how each can influence the other.
Any class that wrestles with the history and effects of colonialism will find the plot of this story a helpful resource to better contextualize what was at stake for those on both sides of colonialism. The book is useful to demonstrate key anthropological concepts such as interculturality, how cultures make initial contact with each other; inculturation, the ongoing dialogue between faith and culture; classicism, or the imposition of one culture onto the other which most often leads to an ethnocentric view that one’s culture is superior to another; and acculturation, how people adopt signs, symbols, and ideas from one culture into another. The examples leap from the pages at every turn, whether the priests struggle to make a pidgin kind of language and express themselves to the indigenous Japanese Christians, or the misinterpretation of traditional Western theology that occurs when dogma is translated into Eastern patterns of thought.
What perceptive readers will also find interesting is the nature in which characters embody varying sides in the theological, political, and historical spectrum. There is the simple, yet strikingly resilient belief of the Japanese Christians that results in their martyrdom. At various times, we learn that this faith has been significantly altered from its systematic doctrine to fit a uniquely “Eastern,” and Japanese perspective. There are the rulers of Japan who, after having watched the expansion of Western colonial powers are understandably determined to be rid of any kind of imperial assimilation. And then there are the priestly missionaries struggling with how faith should make sense in a world of violence, hatred, and notably, very different cultures. The second part of the book challenges the reader to question and analyze these themes, but also to reflect on one’s own faith, whatever denomination or tradition.
The book should only be used for quite capable readers at the upper high school level who are versed with some level of Catholic/Christian theology or the historical patterns of colonial expansion. Martin Scorsese’s 2016 titular film is perhaps an even more useful tool to teach the book. Scorsese has clearly been deeply affected by the novel, which acts as almost a page to camera screenplay. Relevant and appropriate excerpts could easily be shown to students to capture the importance of understanding not only the difficulties inherent in retaining and evangelizing the Christian faith, but how other differing people and cultures intersect with those struggles.

I found Shusaku Endo's novel, Silence, to be a fascinating read. It was not the easiest of books to read, and there were several sections that I had to re-read to make sure I understood, and because of that I would agree that this is a novel for at least a high school level, both for difficulty and because of the concepts that are presented. Background knowledge would be needed on the interactions between Japan and the western world to understand the environment in which the story is set. There were a few occasions where I had to look up, not the Japanese references but the Catholic ones to just understand some of the inner monologues that the main character was having at the time. The translator's preface does help with some of these details, but it would help students to have more details to understand the political situation at the time. I do not think that this detracts from the story itself, but just what I see as possible roadblocks for students to get interested in the novel itself.
As a middle school teacher, I cannot speak to how this novel could be used to help students with AP or higher level courses. But what I found interesting, and would be fascinated to hear from the students' perspective, are the moral dilemmas that the missionaries face throughout the course of the novel. Was Ferreira correct in his assessment of Japan? Did Lord Inoue have the best intentions for his people with the banning of Christianity? This could even be tied to a larger discussion on globalization and whether or not countries should isolate themselves from other countries. Do those societies gain or loose by how tightly they control their borders? Finally, I had the opportunity to read this at an interesting time. A film version, that Martin Scorsese has hinted about for decades now, is finally being released, and overall the buzz has been very positive. In fact, I picked this novel up because I had been hearing about the film. If this same excitement can be used to energize students into reading this novel, I would highly recommend it.

As a teacher of World History and AP Human Geography at Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School, I think Silence by Shusaku Endo would be a significant addition to our World History or World Literature courses because it provocatively, but reflectively, addresses the encounter and conflict between two distinct worlds and ideologies while remaining ambivalent on the matter of civilizational “clash.” While Father Ferreria maintains that Japan is a “swamp” since Christianity could not take root, Silence is not merely a tale of East versus West. In the Translators Preface, William Johnston maintains that “Mr. Endo’s thesis is more universal than many of his Japanese readers suspected.” Johnston continues, “For if Hellenistic Christianity does not fit Japan, neither does it (in the opinion of many) suit the modern West; if the notion of God has to be rethought for Japan (as this novel constantly stresses), so has it to be rethought for the modern West” (xvii).
Human Geographers identify both Christianity and Buddhism as universalizing religions because they appeal to people on a global scale and in a diversity of places. However, as Christianity and Buddhism matured throughout history, they began to change and adapt to new times and customs. Students should be challenged to think about religions’ survival through adaptation. Was Japan merely a “swamp” in which Christianity could not take root? Considering Father Rodrigues’ closing line – “my life until this day would have spoken of him” - and the brief Appendix, how do you think Shusaku Endo would answer this question?
The theology of Endo’s Silence is consistent with current Catholic thinking on missionary activity. In Ad Gentes, the Second Vatican Council’s Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity, the Catholic Church affirmed that it should suffer with “the poor and afflicted” (12). Endo’s Christ acclaims, “It was to share men’s pain that I carried my cross” (171). The contemporary Catholic understanding that missionary activity be informed by social solidarity is a central theme in Endo’s Silence.
In addition to the Translator’s Preface, I recommend that students read about the Age of Exploration and various encounters between Asia and Europe. Chapter 9 of Stewart Gordon’s When Asia Was the World provides the example of Tomé Pires’ failed political mission to China over 100 years before the religious mission of Endo’s Sebastian Rodrigues to Japan.
This book is a fine addition to a World Literature class, especially in a Catholic school looking around the world for distinctly Catholic authors – Endo has been described as "the Japanese Graham Greene." Otherwise, teachers should note that much the book’s content is deeply religious and contains many references to and reflections on Catholic theology and practice. The book also contains frequent and vivid references to various forms of torture, which may unsettle some readers.

This finely crafted book is appropriate for a higher level high school history or literature course. If you are looking for a secondary source for an AP World History class, this is a great choice. Shusaku Endo tells the story of Father Sebastian Rodriguez, a Seventeenth Century Portuguese Catholic Priest in Tokugawa Japan. The book would be an excellent means of addressing the AP World History Theme 2: Development and Interaction of Cultures. The AP World History exam asks that students be able to describe how and why “the increase in interactions between newly connected hemispheres and intensification of connections within hemispheres expanded the spread and reform of existing religions and created syncretic belief systems and practices.” Specifically students are asked to explain how and why “the practice of Christianity continued to spread throughout the world and was increasingly diversified by the process of diffusion and the Reformation.” Endo addresses these issues in a deeply engaging narrative that also raises profound questions of faith, service, and loyalty.
Students will need at least a rudimentary understanding of the European age of exploration, global trade networks, and Japanese unification. The Translator’s Preface provides some background information that can be used to supplement any World History or Asian Studies Text but should not be read as a stand-alone source. Teachers should be prepared to discuss some very weighty issues as students read through the book. Some overarching questions might be:
• How does the author address the problem of cultural bias?
• Identify and describe the ethical dilemmas faced by Father Rodriguez, Kichijiro, and Lord Inoue.
• Critique Inoue’s argument that “Japan is a swamp in which Christianity can never take root.” What evidence can you find to support this argument, how might you refute it?

This finely crafted book is appropriate for a higher level high school history or literature course. If you are looking for a secondary source for an AP World History class, this is a great choice. Shusaku Endo tells the story of Father Sebastian Rodriguez, a Seventeenth Century Portuguese Catholic Priest in Tokugawa Japan. The book would be an excellent means of addressing the AP World History Theme 2: Development and Interaction of Cultures. The AP World History exam asks that students be able to describe how and why “the increase in interactions between newly connected hemispheres and intensification of connections within hemispheres expanded the spread and reform of existing religions and created syncretic belief systems and practices.” Specifically students are asked to explain how and why “the practice of Christianity continued to spread throughout the world and was increasingly diversified by the process of diffusion and the Reformation.” Endo addresses these issues in a deeply engaging narrative that also raises profound questions of faith, service, and loyalty.
Students will need at least a rudimentary understanding of the European age of exploration, global trade networks, and Japanese unification. The Translator’s Preface provides some background information that can be used to supplement any World History or Asian Studies Text but should not be read as a stand-alone source. Teachers should be prepared to discuss some very weighty issues as students read through the book. Some overarching questions might be:
• How does the author address the problem of cultural bias?
• Identify and describe the ethical dilemmas faced by Father Rodriguez, Kichijiro, and Lord Inoue.
• Critique Inoue’s argument that “Japan is a swamp in which Christianity can never take root.” What evidence can you find to support this argument, how might you refute it?