Ca’ Foscari Japanese Studies

Collana | Ca’ Foscari Japanese Studies
Volume 23 | Monografia | A Failing Mission?

A Failing Mission?

Salvation in the Jesuit Mission in Japan Under Francisco Cabral
open access | peer reviewed
  • Linda Zampol D’Ortia - Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, Italia - email

Abstract

The Jesuit textual production from the sixteenth century leaves no doubt that the Japanese evangelising enterprise was publicised as the epitome of success. Francisco Cabral, third superior of the mission, who had initially shared this judgement, in time began fearing that the mission was, instead, doomed to failure. As he perceived the loosening of the internal ties of the Society of Jesus, and the salvation of the catechumens as more and more independent of that of the Jesuits, Cabral concluded that God had abandoned the mission. This study, using little-known manuscript sources, examines Cabral’s attitudes towards his confreres and the Japanese people, to illuminate how particular salvation mechanics could define early modern Catholic missions.

Keywords History of Catholicism in JapanEarly modern Jesuit missionsCatholic soteriologyEarly modern CatholicismJapanese Jesuit mission

Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/978-88-6969-793-7 | e-ISBN 978-88-6969-793-7 | ISBN (PRINT) 978-88-6969-764-7 | Numero pagine 184 | Pubblicato 31 Gennaio 2024 | Accettato 25 Settembre 2023 | Presentato 21 Giugno 2023 | Lingua en, it