1st Edition

The Kakure Kirishitan of Japan A Study of Their Development, Beliefs and Rituals to the Present Day

By Stephen Turnbull Copyright 1998
    316 Pages
    by Routledge

    316 Pages
    by Routledge

    First major study in English of the Japanese 'hidden' Christians - the Kakure Kirishitan, who chose to remain separate from the Catholic Church when religious toleration was granted in 1873 - and the development of the faith and rituals from the 16th century to the present day.

    1 Introduction 2 The historical background to the Kakure faith 3 The organization of the Kakure communities and their relationship to Catholicism 4 The origins and uses of the Kakure gozensama 5 Christian martyrs and the sacred places of the Kakure Kirishitan 6 The Kakure worship calendar and the role of prayer 7 The structure of Kakure worship and the significance of the communal meal 8 The spirit world and the Kakure Kirishitan 9 Death, ancestors and the Kakure Kirishitan 10 The Kakure in Context

    Biography

    Stephen Turnbull

    'This book makes a very valuable contribution to the study of the "Hidden Christians" of Japan, a subject of much scholarly attention in recent years. Turnbull's study of the Kakure Kirishitan is the best one available in English.' - Neil McMullin, Pacific Affairs