As a website that promotes the Holy History of the Christian Church, I figured there ought to be an endorsement of noteworthy writings composed by other authors.
Probably one of my favourite books, “Silence” by Shusaku Endo is a classic piece of Christian (specifically Roman Catholic) historical fiction. The book has been embraced by many Japanese Christians from Pentecostal Seminary professors to apologists of Endo’s own church. Philip Yancey was the first person who had endorsed it, and I purchased it with no other real reviews.
The book covers the 17th century period of the Martyrs of Japan. In that ancient country ruled by the shogunate, Spanish and Portuguese missionaries of multiple orders went with trade ships to Japan to spread the religion of Christ. Endo focuses on one historical episode where instead of accepting martyrdom one Portuguese Jesuit converted to Buddhism under torture and began writing tracts for the government against his old faith. Horrified at such a shameful offence, two other Jesuits from Portugal who were once the apostate friar’s seminary students, plan on penitentially journeying to Japan to restore the honor of their order and the Christian faith as a whole.
Dealing with issues of doubt, apostasy, sin and redemption, “Silence” quickly became one of -if not – my favourite fictional book. Endo has been called the Japanese Graham Greene, who is my favourite English author, and also was a great Christian writer. I read “Silence” in a single evening and couldn’t put it down. I cannot recommend it enough.