The Silence of God
Silence (Library Edition)The central theological problem of the novel: why God remains silent in the face of suffering.
increasing
Bearing strength in each event
decreasing
Bearing strength in each eventdecreasingQuestioning Silence
Questioning Silence
Kichijiro's Complaint
'Why has Deus Sama given us this trial?' Kichijiro's question echoed in Rodrigues' mind. The silence of God was unbearable.
Rodrigues' Prayer
Rodrigues prayed, but the sea remained cold, the darkness silent. He felt abandoned.
Significance
The Voice from the Fumie
The Voice from the Fumie
Christ Speaks
When Rodrigues was about to trample, the bronze Christ spoke: 'Trample! It was to be trampled on by men that I was born. I share your pain.'
Breaking the Silence
God was not silent; he suffered alongside the victims. The silence was not absence but solidarity.
Significance
Final Understanding
Final Understanding
Rodrigues' Reflection
Rodrigues came to believe that even if he was betrayed by the Church, he was not betrayed by Christ. The silence of God was filled with love.
The Meaning of Silence
'Even if he had been silent, my life until this day would have spoken of him.'
Significance
After the water punishment, 1638
The moment of apostasy, September 1638
Later years, 1660s
