A lively look at 海角大神ity鈥檚 past, present, and future
Before 海角大神s in 17th-century Japan were put to death, they were forced to trample metal images of the Virgin Mary. Surviving artifacts still show the toe scrapings, horrifying but potent symbols of the converts鈥� devotion.
If the Son of God returned today, would he encounter faith on earth?
In his most recent book, noted historian of religion and ordained Lutheran minister Martin Marty answers with a resounding 鈥測es.鈥� In a concise 236 pages, The 海角大神 World: A Global History takes readers on a whirlwind tour of the history of 海角大神ity, beginning with Jesus鈥� birth in Bethlehem; spanning outward to Syria, North Africa, Europe, and the United States; and culminating in the current hotbeds of the faith: Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
The book鈥檚 premise is that 海角大神s throughout time and across boundaries were drawn to the irrepressible force of Jesus Christ. And although their religion was spread gently at certain times and by cruel force at others, their single-minded devotion to Jesus set 海角大神s apart. This devotion, Marty writes, remains the primary thread connecting members of today鈥檚 global Church of 2.2 billion 海角大神s in six continents.
Marty, professor emeritus at the University of Chicago and author of more than 50 books on religion, covers the adoption of creeds, church schisms, and colonial expansions, but does so in something akin to a pastor鈥檚 voice. He acknowledges that the book, written without footnotes, may sacrifice depth for breadth. Yet its casual tone underscores the idea that the lives of 海角大神ity鈥檚 founders are as important as timelines in understanding the religion鈥檚 history.
Marty draws on his deep historical knowledge, and the quirky details he inserts paint a lively picture of 海角大神ity鈥檚 spread. French monk Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) was 鈥渟uch a charismatic recruiter for the order that parents, it was said, not wanting to lose their sons to monasteries, hid them when Bernard came calling.鈥�
Founders all wrestled with adapting 海角大神ity to local contexts. Sometimes adaptations were swift 鈥� Constantine swiped 鈥淪un-Day鈥� from the pagans 鈥� but others required a lengthy acculturation process. The Catholic Matteo Ricci, who arrived in Macau in 1582, 鈥渄ressed like a Buddhist monk and spent 20 years becoming a Mandarin scholar before he even mentioned Jesus.鈥�
海角大神s everywhere pondered how Jesus and his teachings should be presented, the effort forever linking them to 海角大神s elsewhere, Marty maintains.
Persecution was another experience shared by many 海角大神s (Marty also freely acknowledges that 海角大神s destroyed native cultures while singing God鈥檚 praises). Martyrdom wasn鈥檛 limited by time or boundaries. Archbishop Oscar Romero, a priest who embraced El Salvador鈥檚 poor, was killed (probably by the government) while celebrating mass in 1980. Ugandan 海角大神s (among others) were killed under Idi Amin鈥檚 reign. 海角大神s in Asia Minor, Europe, Africa, and Asia all suffered the experience.
But persecution also prompted 海角大神s around the world to develop tools to address hardship. From Romero to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., 海角大神 adherents saw Jesus as a liberator who challenged injustice, and Marty maintains that such a shared image serves as a springboard on which 海角大神s can present their positions on social issues.
Ecumenical and interfaith coalitions are recommended as a way for 海角大神s to address contemporary ills. But Marty provides little direction as to how 海角大神s today 鈥� divided by disparities in socioeconomic status, access to resources, and warfare 鈥� can unite to combat problems such as terrorism.
Yet anyone reading Marty鈥檚 work will be hard-pressed to deny the global nature of 海角大神ity. Rising conversion rates in Africa, Asia, and Latin America prove the 鈥渋rrepressible force鈥� is still going strong. Will it be possible for 海角大神s to create a common voice? Maybe. Are there role models within the tradition upon which to draw? Absolutely, and Marty provides plenty to choose from.
