History of Christianity in Sengoku-era Japan

Ovaj diplomski rad analizira i interpretira povijest Japana od dolaska prvih katoličkih Europljana u 16. stoljeću do uvođenja vjerske slobode u Japanu u 19. stoljeću. Rad je podijeljen na tri dijela: Uspon kršćanstva u Japanu, Pad kršćanstva u Japanu i Opstanak kršćanstva u Japanu. Svaka od tih faza razvoja kršćanstva analizira se kao zasebna cjelina. Nižu se biografije osoba ključnih za razvoj katoličanstva u ranomodernom Japanu skupa s ključnim događajima koji su utjecali na japansku povijest. U završnici se opisuje fenomen kirišitana, pripadnika posebne religije nastale spajanjem kršćanstva, šintoizma i budizma koja je opstala u svom jedinstvenom obliku sve do povratka katoličkih misionara polovicom 19. stoljeća te se u zadnjem poglavlju daje detaljan opis njihove svete knjige „O postanku Neba i Zemlje“.This Master's thesis analyses and interprets the Japanese history from first encounters with Catholic Europeans in the 16th century up to introduction of religious freedoms in Japan during 19th century. The thesis is divided into three parts: The Rise of Christianity in Japan, the Fall of Christianity in Japan, and Subsistence of Christianity in Japan. Each of these phases of Christianity’s consecution is analysed at individual level. Biographies of key Christian characters and chronologies of key events in Japanese history are described in the thesis. Finally, the phenomena of Kirishitan religion, which incorporates elements of Christianity, Shintoism, and Buddhism, is described, and analysed. The Kirishitans continued to practice their religion well into the 19th century until they re-encountered mainstream Catholicism. Their beliefs are contained in the holy text known as “The Beginning of Heaven and Earth”, which is described in detail in the final chapter