潜伏キリシタンと芥川の切支丹もの

Abstract

This paper is a study about the history and features of Hidden Christians of Japan. It was rather Maria Kannon than the image of Jesus Christ carved on the ring who they admired most in the case of ‘浦上三番崩れ’ in『日本に於ける公教会 復活』.It raises an issue how far the faithden Christians could be recognized as Christianity in the view of orthodox Christianity. Also, after the banning of Christianity was lifted 1873, people rejoined to catholic church as ‘Resurrection Christian’, but some never returned, rather insisted to stay as ‘Kakure(カクレ) Kirishitan’, which so changed that hardly thought to be Christianity. Accordingly, this paper looked into how these phenomena were depicted in the literatures of the time. Akutagawa Ryunosuke, who represents Modern Japan, wrote ‘Juliano Kichisuke’, ‘Madonna in black’ about Christians with interests in the history of Christians and the faith of Hidden Christians. In ‘Madonna in black’, a hidden christian grandmother was praying to Maria Kannon, the prayer is likely for Catholics of these days. Her granddaughter, Oei, was passed down the faith of Hidden Christian watching her grandmother. Maddona in black, the object of prayer was enshrined as the family deity Oei, who was left alone at her age 10, prayed for the prosperity of family. A belief in Maria Kannon of Hidden Christian could be seen as Japanization of Christianity. That is, we are able to find a possibility in the history and literature that it would be absorbed into Shinto or Buddhism in the culture over time. Besides, the faith of ‘Juliano Kichisuke’is away from the belief in the view of orthodox Christianity. He has this belief that Lord Jesus Christ died of lovesickness for Virgin Mary, and Kichisuke who took the Jesus as the family deity got pierced with a spear confidently on a cross. A various shapes of faith that Hidden Christians have appeared.