잠복 기리시탄(潜伏キリシタン)의 전승 세례 ‒기리시탄 교리(敎理)와의 적합성 여부를 중심으로‒

Abstract

The edict against Christianity in 1614 caused Secret Padres to be banished or martyred. Especially after the edict, no padres were in Japan. Secret-Christians organized secret communities and transmitted baptism, ceremonies, doctrines, prayers, and so on until the revocation of the edict. This period today is called Secret Period(1644-1873). This paper explores the catechism Doctrina Christam(Christian doctrine, 1600) to find whether the baptism in Secret Period was done according to Christian doctrine. First, the focus is on whether a christener was suitable for the doctrine. The Christener in the communities transmitted baptism, which followed the teaching that baptism can be done by any christians if padres are not in that place. Second, the focus is on whether baptized ones were suitable for the doctrine. The communities consisted of christians, so infant baptism naturally prevailed. After parents’ applying for baptism to the christener, Mizkata, infants were baptized, accompanied by a godparent. Third, the focus is on whether the way of christener’s baptism was suitable which included proclaiming baptism and spraying water. Efforts of missionaries, devotion of Christians, organization of Confraria prepared for suppression, and publication of religious books made them have faith in God even in the Suppression Period. However, transmitting baptism on their own without padres made a big difference depending on districts and communities. Some of them are suitable for the catechism of Christian Period while others are not.