【國際夢工場：經典復刻 ⛪️🎬】 《沉默》：早期天主教在日本，真的「成功」傳教嗎？（一）
Added 2025-07-16 09:01:01 +0000 UTC名導馬丁．史高西斯的電影《沉默》改編自日本作家遠藤周作的同名小說，觸及相當深刻的宗教題材，不少對宗教歷史研究甚深的專家學者都已評論，總之，遠非那些認為電影歌頌「神很偉大」的表層教徒觀點可比。電影最後字幕交代，要向那些年東渡日本的傳教士致敬，然而看過整齣電影，感覺這種說話，只是向教會、金主交代的政治正確，更似蘊含諷刺。
電影講述葡萄牙傳教士費雷拉神父到日本傳教後失蹤，他的兩名徒弟冒險到日本，尋找老師的影蹤。其時日本德川幕府已經嚴禁天主教，二人因為嘗試傳教，最終先後被捕，一人被折磨致死，另一人歷盡酷刑，再目睹老師原來已被逼棄教、改日本名娶妻生活，也唯有棄教求生。
表面上，這是講述日本禁教的野蠻行為，探討教士的心路歷程，但更關鍵的問題，其實很尖銳：究竟這樣的「傳教」，有用嗎？就算天主教在日本蓬勃發展，又如何？
天主教傳教士到日本的歷史，可以追溯到1549年，西班牙教士沙勿略（Francis Xavier）與另外兩名耶穌會士抵達鹿兒島；其實這段時間前後，也有葡萄牙教士的船隻在日本附近擱淺，現代武器流入日本，甚至影響了中國倭寇戰爭、與及日本戰國時代的進程。1551年，沙勿略離開日本前往中國時，日本天主教徒已有上千人；到16世紀晚期，信眾達13萬，成為歐洲之外最大的海外天主教社群之一。戰國結束前，天主教一度在日本有一定影響力，上至達官貴人、下至平民百姓都不乏信眾，例如豐臣秀吉的心腹小西行長就是虔誠教徒，他在關原之戰參與西軍、戰敗被殺，教宗還專門為他舉行彌撒。在日本的傳教組織也參與經貿，成為日本與歐洲之間的貿易紐帶。
然然，正如電影的落難教士互相質問：難道那些日本教徒，真的明白教義嗎？
事實上，他們只是把「基督」取代佛祖、祖先或其他原始神明，當作是日本神道的諸神之一，有點像華人拜觀音那樣，只是求福，希望有求必應，需要有偶像式聖物來崇拜，對教義、哲學、理念本身卻不明瞭，也不求甚解。問題是傳教要普及，必須「落地」，通過滿足一般人的最基本需要、盼望，才是古今中外傳教不二之法，教士要「成功」，必須如此。當教徒信了教，卻不見得心靈充沛，到了有違個人利益時，信仰自然動搖，就像電影那位多次叛教的人那樣，這正是不少貌似虔誠的教徒不願承認的。
在人道角度，德川幕府逼害教徒自然殘忍；但從比較政治角度，日本政府的行為，卻很難不說是為了「國家安全」。正如電影的長官井上政重「賽後檢討」，他並不認為天主教是異端邪說，明白對方有一套嚴謹的理論、神學體系，只是認為這種思潮在日本流行，不見得對政權是好事而已。
早在豐臣秀吉統治後期，日本就開始擔憂歐陸殖民帝國在東亞的活動，懷疑西班牙、葡萄牙利用傳教干預日本政治，他死前，已經有零星的歐洲教士、日本信眾被處決。德川統一全國，進一步將這憂慮化成政策：1614年，幕府以「基督教腐蝕靈魂、擾亂社會、與政府管治相悖」為由，將西方教士驅逐出境，強迫日本信眾棄教，估計約有四萬名日本教徒被處決。
假如幕府沒有這樣做，歐洲帝國會通過傳教來逐步殖民嗎？難說。西班牙征服拉丁美洲，正是以傳教之名進行。德川幕府大概不知道此事，但直覺得出的本能反應，往往貼近事實。
（待續）
Comments
》》 難道那些日本教徒，真的明白教義嗎？ 再退後啲睇，而家嘅信徒，又有幾多真明白教義？身邊有人，神乜神物掛口邊，但小事如買翻版手袋、睇盜版影音，其實已經犯咗不可偷盜、不可貪心兩誡。同佢講，竟然可以毫無愧色地答話「翻版唔係佢翻、盜版唔係佢盜」，已經接近無賴邊緣。
Kam
2025-07-16 15:12:38 +0000 UTCMartin Scorsese’s “Silence,” one of my favorite movies, is a cinematic triumph, a haunting exploration of faith, doubt, and the moral complexities of religious conviction. Set in 17th-century Japan, the film follows two Portuguese Jesuit priests, Rodrigues and Garupe, as they search for their mentor, Ferreira, amid the brutal persecution of Christians. At its core, “Silence” probes the tension between steadfast belief and the anguished reality of divine silence in a world of suffering. Scorsese masterfully captures the clash of cultures, pitting Christianity against Japan’s Buddhist and Shinto traditions. This conflict mirrors broader civilizational divides, reminiscent of Samuel Huntington’s thesis, and raises thorny questions about the ethics of missionary work. Is it justifiable to impose one’s beliefs on a culture that has endured persecution? The film offers no easy answers, instead presenting a nuanced portrait of faith’s consequences—both its redemptive power and its capacity to inflict pain. The narrative’s emotional weight lies in its depiction of religious persecution and the ethical dilemmas faced by its characters. Rodrigues’s journey forces him to confront a moral quandary: should he cling to his faith, even at the cost of others’ lives, or compromise his beliefs to alleviate suffering? This question transcends religion, inviting reflection on how we balance personal convictions—be they spiritual, political, or cultural—with the well-being of others. The film’s resonance extends to the struggles of oppressed communities worldwide, who navigate the tension between their ideals and survival under authoritarian rule. Central to “Silence” is the motif of God’s silence. Rodrigues’s desperate pleas for divine guidance are met with absence, a metaphor for the ambiguity of faith and the human experience of doubt. This silence is not merely theological but universal, echoing the despair of those grappling with unanswered questions in times of crisis. It forces Rodrigues to question whether his faith is a genuine conviction or a fragile construct, a dilemma that resonates across cultures and eras. This theme finds a modern echo in the struggles of HK’s political prisoners, such as Jimmy Lai, Chow Hang-Tung, Joshua Wong, Benny Tai, Gwyneth Ho, and others, including those recently released under pervasive surveillance. Their suffering evokes haunting questions about whether divine intervention will break the silence and moral justice will prevail in a world where wrongdoers often wield power unchecked and unpunished. The film also explores redemption and forgiveness. Rodrigues’s quest is as much about finding Ferreira as it is about reconciling with his own beliefs. In the climactic scene, faced with an excruciating test of faith, he apostatizes, adopting a Japanese name and wife, and outwardly abandoning Christianity. Yet, in a poignant final gesture, his wife places a small crucifix in his hand during his traditional Japanese funeral—a symbol of the faith he preserved in secret. This act underscores the film’s central insight: faith can endure in the heart, even amidst compromise. This theme of compromised faith finds a parallel in Kichijirō, a Japanese Christian who betrays his faith and fellow believers while repeatedly seeking forgiveness. Unlike the idealized martyrs or steadfast priests like Rodrigues, Kichijirō is an everyman—cowardly, self-serving, yet desperate for salvation. Scorsese uses Kichijirō to explore human weakness and the moral struggles of those under oppressive regimes, showing that faith is not reserved for the heroic but is accessible to the flawed. His persistence in seeking forgiveness despite failure underscores Scorsese’s message: faith reflects the iterative nature of spiritual growth. Scorsese doesn’t shy away from the darkness of human experience, instead weaving it into a broader tapestry of doubt, suffering, and redemption. The film’s meticulous attention to detail, atmospheric cinematography, and searing performances—particularly Andrew Garfield’s raw portrayal of Rodrigues—elevate its philosophical inquiry. For those living under authoritarian regimes, particularly HKers who remain in HK after the 2019 protests, Kichijirō’s story offers powerful inspiration. His quiet, flawed faith mirrors their efforts to preserve identity and hope under pressure, serving as a beacon of hope: even in weakness, the human spirit can endure, sustaining the fight for freedom—be it of speech, religion, or others—and identity against all odds. “Silence” is a testament to the enduring struggle of the human spirit, inviting audiences to grapple with profound questions about belief, sacrifice, and the search for meaning. In its unflinching honesty, it stands as one of Scorsese’s most thought-provoking and emotionally resonant works.
George
2025-07-16 11:10:04 +0000 UTC網劇將軍正係說出主角三浦按針是英國新教徒,向影射的德川家康力陳天主教食甲棍和殖民的野心
Joe
2025-07-16 09:32:51 +0000 UTC
