Missiological Lessons—From Events New and Old

The quincentennial celebrations of Columbus' arrival in the Americas have occasioned incisive reflections on the effects of that event. Peoples in Asia are also reflecting freshly on their experiences with European explorers. This article focuses on Japan's encounter. Different from other peoples in Asia or the Americas, the Japanese were not a people that could be conquered by military force from outside. They were quite comparable to the Portuguese and Spanish in cultural sophistication. Yet the Roman Catholic missionary work initiated by Francis Xavier in 1549 manifested remarkable numerical success, then ended in the following century with startling reversals. This is an account of heroic dedication, creative innovations, and tragic mistakes, with important lessons for the present and future of the Christian world mission.