Analysis Of Silence By Shusak Endo

Thesis: Through inculturation and different interpretations of Christianity, the church is catholic or universal. In order for the church to be catholic, it must be able to spread the Gospel with respect to cultural diversities. Culture is the beliefs, customs, and arts of a particular society. The Catholic faith is central to many of the world’s cultures. Yet, through inculturation, the Catholic faith is lived differently in each culture (classroom notes 10-13). In Shusaku Endo’s book, Silence, inculturation is demonstrated differently in the two cultures of Portugal and Japan. Because of religious freedom, the Portuguese lived a more transmitting culture of the Gospel. Given the country’s state in the 1500’s, they were able to spread …show more content…
Although the church originated in Israel, Jesus intended to for the church to be universal. In particular, Silence begins with the words, “News reached the Church in Rome,” (Endo 3).This phrasing shows how the church truly is global. It is never the Church of Rome. Because the People of God are the church, the church isn’t limited to a specific region or nation. Therefore, Catholicism is not just for the Europeans, it is for all the believers of Jesus Christ. Consequently, the believers can be a part of different and diverse cultures across the world. Because of so many cultures that make up the Catholic Church, there are bound to be variations of how the faith is lived and …show more content…
In the small town of Elkader, I rarely saw diversity. However, I had gotten a glimpse of some cultural differences my eighth grade year, when my family went on a trip to St. Louis. Sunday morning of our vacation we attended a Catholic Church close to our hotel. When we walked in to St. Alphonsus Liguori Rock Catholic Church, we were quite surprised. The church was a predominantly African American congregation. At first, most of my family had the instinct to turn around, but that was not an option. Immediately, we were ushered to a pew. For me, I could not believe how welcomed we were. Even though we stuck out, nobody stared at us. In fact, people even gave us hugs during the sign of peace. It definitely was a change. Yet, the biggest variation from mass at St. Joseph’s in Elkader had to be how they praised the Lord. For example, every part of the Mass was sung, and it lasted for over two hours. There was even dancing! All of this proved they loved Jesus, and they wanted him to know it. Although St. Alphonsus’s Church was quite a bit different than St. Joseph’s, both churches are a part of the universal, catholic church. More importantly, St. Alphonsus’s culture showed me a different side of Jesus. The church was more accepting and welcoming than any church I have ever been too. As a result, going to this church started to help me understand the cultural magnitude of the church. From