Tuesday, May 09, 2006
little bit of Japanese Christian history
Kakure Kirishitan
From Kodansha's Encyclopedia of Japan
Christian beleivers of the Edo period (1600 - 1868) who survived the Anti-Christian edicts of the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603 - 1867) and the period of national seclusion, whose descendents escaped detection during succeeding waves of persecution. In 1641, there were at most 300,000 baptized members of the Catholic church. The expulsion of the Catholic clergy that was decreed in 1614 and the general persecution of Christianity that followed were designed to eliminate the foreign faith from Japan. The response of some of the faithful to persecution was to declare their faith and embrace martyrdom, but most Christians concealed their belief and went underground. Some groups of Christians chose emigration of their entire communities to remote areas were it was relatively easier to remain hidden.
The shogunal Inquistion office (Kirishitan Shumon Aratame Yaku), established in 1640, aimed at total extermination of Christians. The practice of efumi (trampling on fumie, holy pictures), instituted in 1629 as a means of identifying beleivers, was well established by 1640. Small groups of priests secretly enter the country after 1636 but the were quickly detected and eliminated. Thus from 1637, in matters of faith and practice, Christian communities were wholly dependent of lay leadership. Because they were often forced to outwardly conform with Buddist and Shinto practice by the Tokugawa shogunate, hidden Chistians developed a double religious life in which they secretly preserved their Christian belief and practice. When Japan was opened to intenational communication in the mid-19th century more than 30,000 believers in the old faith came forward from various remote areas. In the absence of any priests or printed texts, the entire body of doctrine and litergy was passed on by worf of mouth. A related term, Hanare Kirishitan (seperated Christians), refers to the descvendents of Old Cristians whose faith survived the National Seclusion period but who refused reconciliation with the Roman Catholic church after the abolition of Cristian prohibition laws in the mid-19th century. Pockets of Hanare Kirishitan still exist in Japan.
No texts or priests and yet they carried on the tradions and the Word. I really like that. It probably meant everyone had to be involved and teach each other. It should be noted that their Christian beliefs were a bit twisted and it is said that they had some issues about the trinity and their religeon was an amalgamation of Shinto, Buddhism, Christianity, and Animism, but their faith remained and I believe God gave them much grace. But it could if we look at our traditions and religeon we will probably find some eerie parallels. I believe today we rely too heavily on the priestly office or pastoral role. I also believe we have created the outline of this role and not necessarily God. We have emphasized certain duties and points of focus which i beleive are purely cultural.
From Kodansha's Encyclopedia of Japan
Christian beleivers of the Edo period (1600 - 1868) who survived the Anti-Christian edicts of the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603 - 1867) and the period of national seclusion, whose descendents escaped detection during succeeding waves of persecution. In 1641, there were at most 300,000 baptized members of the Catholic church. The expulsion of the Catholic clergy that was decreed in 1614 and the general persecution of Christianity that followed were designed to eliminate the foreign faith from Japan. The response of some of the faithful to persecution was to declare their faith and embrace martyrdom, but most Christians concealed their belief and went underground. Some groups of Christians chose emigration of their entire communities to remote areas were it was relatively easier to remain hidden.
The shogunal Inquistion office (Kirishitan Shumon Aratame Yaku), established in 1640, aimed at total extermination of Christians. The practice of efumi (trampling on fumie, holy pictures), instituted in 1629 as a means of identifying beleivers, was well established by 1640. Small groups of priests secretly enter the country after 1636 but the were quickly detected and eliminated. Thus from 1637, in matters of faith and practice, Christian communities were wholly dependent of lay leadership. Because they were often forced to outwardly conform with Buddist and Shinto practice by the Tokugawa shogunate, hidden Chistians developed a double religious life in which they secretly preserved their Christian belief and practice. When Japan was opened to intenational communication in the mid-19th century more than 30,000 believers in the old faith came forward from various remote areas. In the absence of any priests or printed texts, the entire body of doctrine and litergy was passed on by worf of mouth. A related term, Hanare Kirishitan (seperated Christians), refers to the descvendents of Old Cristians whose faith survived the National Seclusion period but who refused reconciliation with the Roman Catholic church after the abolition of Cristian prohibition laws in the mid-19th century. Pockets of Hanare Kirishitan still exist in Japan.
No texts or priests and yet they carried on the tradions and the Word. I really like that. It probably meant everyone had to be involved and teach each other. It should be noted that their Christian beliefs were a bit twisted and it is said that they had some issues about the trinity and their religeon was an amalgamation of Shinto, Buddhism, Christianity, and Animism, but their faith remained and I believe God gave them much grace. But it could if we look at our traditions and religeon we will probably find some eerie parallels. I believe today we rely too heavily on the priestly office or pastoral role. I also believe we have created the outline of this role and not necessarily God. We have emphasized certain duties and points of focus which i beleive are purely cultural.
hd 10:47 AM