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Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering, By Makoto Fujimura

Silence and Beauty

Hidden Faith Born of Suffering

by Makoto Fujimura

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Silence and Beauty
Paperback
$21.99
  • Length: 263 pages
  • Dimensions: 5.5 × 8.25 in
  • Published: March 31, 2016
  • Imprint: IVP
  • ISBN: 9780830844753
Other Formats:

Logos Bookstore Association Award
Dallas Willard Center Book Award Finalist
Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
World Magazine's Best Books
Aldersgate Prize by the John Wesley Honors College at Indiana Wesleyan University
ECPA Top Shelf Book Cover Award
Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year
Missio Alliance Essential Reading List

Shusaku Endo's novel Silence, first published in 1966, endures as one of the greatest works of twentieth-century Japanese literature. Its narrative of the persecution of Christians in seventeenth-century Japan raises uncomfortable questions about God and the ambiguity of faith in the midst of suffering andhostility.

Endo's Silence took internationally renowned visual artist Makoto Fujimura on a pilgrimage of grappling with the nature of art, the significance of pain and his own cultural heritage. His artistic faith journey overlaps with Endo's as he uncovers deep layers of meaning in Japanese history and literature, expressed in art both past and present. He finds connections to how faith is lived in contemporary contexts of trauma and glimpses of how the gospel is conveyed in Christ-hidden cultures.

In this world of pain and suffering, God often seems silent. Fujimura's reflections show that light is yet present in darkness, and that silence speaks with hidden beauty and truth.

REVIEWS

"Mako Fujimura offers us a moving and illuminating series of reflections on one of the most powerful novels ever written. He helps us to understand how Endo's tale of martyrdom lives in the tensions between East and West, faith and doubt, trust and betrayal. Above all, Fujimura enables us to sense that grace can live—and inspire new life—even in the midst of suffering."Gregory Wolfe, editor, Image
"Makoto Fujimura is a remarkable artist and writer, and his engagement with the writings of the great Shusaku Endo—and Silence in particular—is deep and impassioned, as you will discover on every page of this book. By way of response to a great artist, Fujimura has created a quietly eloquent meditation on art and faith, and where they converge."Martin Scorsese, director of Gangs of New York, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Silence
"Fujimura's Silence and Beauty is a truly remarkable spiritual, theological and intellectual autobiography for our time. It will be of interest to a broad readership, not least of all those who still hear the disorienting and potentially transformational call to intercultural mission in the way of Jesus. Fujimura's musings on the Christ-hidden culture of Japan, his own story and contemporary culture are revelatory, and his layering of the Ground Zero theme functions like a Rembrandtprimer out of which a sublime beauty and grace emerges."Thomas John Hastings, research fellow, Kagawa Archives and Resource Center, former professor of practical theology, Tokyo Union Theological Seminary
"My friend Mako Fujimura is one of the most thoughtful, sensitive and eloquent artists of this generation. Like his otherworldly and luminous paintings, his book Silence and Beauty is at once glorious and profound, an exquisite exploration of truth and beauty, silence and suffering. Give yourself and others the immeasurable gift of this gentle, inspiring treasure."Eric Metaxas, New York Times bestselling author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
"How can we live in a world where we encounter suffering every day? Where is the voice of God when we doubt his goodness? It takes a very specific perspective to write beautiful prose about these questions, but in this book, Mako does just that—exploring the themes raised by Endo's novel and their continuing resonance across our difficult, anxious times. Silence and Beauty is a gift for us as we try to be the fragrance of Christ in a suffering world."Alissa Wilkinson, chief film critic, Christianity Today, assistant professor of English and humanities, The King's College
"When I read Shusaku Endo's Silence for the first time, I vowed that I would refuse to ever read anything written about it. I wanted to preserve the profound sense of mystery and beauty that the novel evoked in me. I am so happy now that I broke that vow by reading this wonderful book by Makoto Fujimura. Mako not only enhances and deepens the sense of mystery, but—as he has done so consistently in his visual works of art—he adds significantly to the beauty!"Richard Mouw, president emeritus, professor of faith and public life, Fuller Theological Seminary
"Fujimura's book is a brilliant blend of investigation and reflection. The reader learns about the compelling history of Christianity in Japan and its strangely enduring influence there, while at the same time being led into a profound meditation on the relation of Christian faith to contemporary culture. A truly impressive achievement."Gordon Graham, Henry Luce III Professor of Philosophy and the Arts, Princeton Theological Seminary, author of The Re-enchantment of the World
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CONTENTS

Introduction: A Pilgrimage
1. A Journey into Silence: Pulverization
2. A Culture of Beauty: Cultural Context for Silence
3. Ambiguity and Faith: Japan, the Ambiguous and Myself
4. Ground Zero
5. Fumi-e Culture
6. Hidden Faith Revealed
7. The Redemption of Father Rodrigues
8. The Aroma: Toward an Antidote to Trauma
9. Mission Beyond the Waves
Acknowledgments
Appendix 1: Endo and Kawabata
Appendix 2: Kenzaburo Oe?s "Human Lamb"
Appendix 3: A Summary of Silence by Shusaku Endo
Notes
Glossary of Japanese Terms
About the Author
Image Credits
Name and Subject Index
Scripture Index

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BONUS MATERIAL

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★ Silence and Beauty has received a starred review in the highly-respected book industry magazine Publishers Weekly. Read the full starred review here.

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ABOUT Makoto Fujimura

Makoto Fujimura

Makoto Fujimura is an internationally recognized contemporary artist whose work appears in major museums and galleries around the world. He is also an award-winning author of five books, including Art Is, Art and Faith, Beauty and Justice, and Silence and Beauty. He is the founder of IAMCultureCare and the Fujimura Institute. Fujimura served on the National Council on the Arts as a presidential appointee and he is a celebrated speaker and advocate for the arts.

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