O FIM DO SONHO MISSIONÁRIO NAS ILHAS DO SOL NASCENTE. A APOLOGIA DO JAPÃO E A CONTROVÉRSIA ENTRE JESUÍTAS E MENDICANTES
This article analyzes the trajectory and decline of the Christian mission in Japan, contextualizing the Portuguese presence in the archipelago from the mid-sixteenth century. The author examines how the encounter between Portugal and Japan, marked by the introduction of firearms and the dynamization...
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| Published in: | Review of Culture |
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| Format: | Articles |
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Instituto Cultural de Macau
April 2003
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| Online Access: | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40006/2711 |
| Summary: | This article analyzes the trajectory and decline of the Christian mission in Japan, contextualizing the Portuguese presence in the archipelago from the mid-sixteenth century. The author examines how the encounter between Portugal and Japan, marked by the introduction of firearms and the dynamization of transoceanic trade, served as the backdrop for one of the most singular missionary experiences of the Early Modern period. The acculturation strategy adopted by the Society of Jesus, initiated by Francis Xavier, is highlighted, seeking to integrate Christianity into the complex Japanese sociocultural reality through the study of the language, adaptation of rites, and emulation of institutional structures inspired by Zen Buddhism.
However, the investigation focuses on the transition from initial missionary optimism to the collapse of the Christian project, exploring the methodological and jurisdictional controversy between the Jesuits and the mendicant orders. This internal dispute, combined with the consolidation of Japanese political power and the growing hostility of local religious elites, precipitated the end of the "missionary dream" in the islands of the Rising Sun. Through an analysis grounded in the Theology of History and modern historiography, the study demonstrates how the tension between different models of evangelization and local political contingencies dictated the tragic outcome of the Catholic presence in Japan, marking a decisive moment in the history of relations between the West and the Far East. |
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| ISSN: | 1682-1106 |