Paper Example on Neo-Confucianism Jesuit Mission to Japan 1543-1639

Introduction

The collaboration between neo-Confucianism and the Jesuit missions is regarded as one of the most effective social conquests in the history of the world. Neo-Confucianism refers to the religious movement and philosophy developed in China declaring the intention to tamper with the social order and belief in the Taoism and Buddhism. On the other hand, the Jesuit mission in Japan was the entry of Catholic missionaries allied to St Ignatius determined to spread the gospel of the Bible and the interest of the Roman Catholic Church (Levi 8). The Jesuits were essentially missionaries sent by the Catholic church. The first Jesuit who arrived in Japan was called Francis Xavier from Portugal. His first interaction in Japan was with Anjiro, a man from Kagoshima.

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The entry of the Confucians in Japan coincided with the Jesuits in the 16th century, estimated between 1540 and 1547. The leader of Japan at the time was called Emperor Gonara alias Tomohito. There are various periods in the history of Japan and the neo-Confucianism, and the Jesuits entered Japan in the Sengoku period which was characterized by political and military and social upheaval (Levi 9). Therefore, the period, the leadership and the coincidence of the Jesuits and the neo-Confucianists rendered the mission unique as it accomplished spiritual, political and social objectives.

The Neo-Confucianism and Jesuit fight against Taoism and Buddhism

The neo-Confucianists and the Jesuit missionaries had one thing in common which was their despising for the Taoism and Buddhism. Definitively, Taoism refers to the religion in the native China and Japan that emphasizes and embraces the human harmony with nature. The believers in Taoism understand the existence of numerous creators and thus, anchor their belief in the order the natural universe (Levi 10). On the other hand, the Buddhism is a religion in which the personal spiritual development is highlighted as the believers strive to gain insight of the truth of life in that they desist from worshipping gods or other forms of deities. Thus. They are regarded as expansionists.

In the 16th century, nearly the whole of Japan was embroiled in the Taoist and Buddhist beliefs. It is worth noting that the Confucians believe in the embrace of ethics as opposed to religion. At the time, the Confucians accounted for the majority of China. Since they despised the Buddhists and the Taoists, the existence of the two religions in their Asian neighbour, Japan, was regarded as a risk as the two would crop back in to the country. Notably, Taoism only existed in the minority native regions of China (Levi 13). Therefore, the insurgence of the Jesuit missionaries was widely supported by the Confucians. The latter believed that the Jesuits had the same intention as theirs of eradication Taoism and Buddhism from the Asian culture.

Therefore, the onset of the neo-Confucian Jesuits' mission in Japan was predominantly to eradicate the Taoist and Buddhist beliefs from the Japanese society and eventually the Asian culture. By the end of the 16th century and the commencement of the 17th, the neo-Confucian Jesuits had taken significant strides towards the achievement of the highlighted objective (Levi 14). Thus, the Jesuits' determination to the spread of the word of the Bible and the Confucians' desire to eradicate Taoism and Buddhism matched, leading to the attainment of the first objective.

Creation of the Roman-Chinese Political Ties

In the 16th century, the Roman Catholic church was the most powerful institutions in the world. It was believed that the church determined the leadership of many countries depending on their embrace of the Christian beliefs. At the same time, China a rapidly developing region in Asia. The once the neo-Confucians planned to enter Japan, the Roman Catholic church saw an opportunity to enhance their political agendas and the perfect objective to accompany was the eradication of the Buddhist and Taoist beliefs (Levi 15). However, it was common knowledge at the time that the Italian Roman Catholic church leadership was the masterminds o9f the Jesuit mission to strengthen the ties between China and Italy.

The fulfilment of the gospel mission and the belief-changing drive was the precursor to the achievement of the first reason that necessitated the insurgency. Notably, the entry of the Chinese Confucians and the Jesuits of the Catholic Church provide the best opportunity for the development of the political ties between the Church and the Chinse empire. At the same time, the subscription of the Japanese people to the Christian beliefs pronounced by the Jesuits transferred the Japanese culture into Rome-adhering. Therefore, the Catholic church had intended to socially conquer Japan through the missionary (Pina 60). Notably, the missionary entailed the construction of schools and churches, institutions that were intended to shape the opinions of the Japanese people towards the Roman Catholic. Thus, the insurgence of the Catholics and the neo-Confucian had the objective of transforming the defiant Japanese society into the followers of both China and Italy in a period that marked the commencement of political ties between Europe and Asia.

The Spread of the Chinse Communism

The above reason was the motivational factor for the neo-Confucian entry into Japan. As highlighted, the Sengoku period in Japan's history was marked with political, social and military upheaval. Coincidentally, the American socialists were seen in Japan while their neighbour China, was predominantly communist. Therefore, the Communist Chinese leadership did not want to have a socialist neighbour in Japan. Thus, the neo-confusion and communist China sent representatives to Japan to accomplish the objective of obstructing the socialization of the Japanese population. The empire of China, Han, knew that the believers of Buddhism and Taoism could be easily convinced since they did not a definitive spiritual standing (Pina 64). Thus, the Jesuits provide a viable option for the Chinse since Han trusted that if the Confucian supported the Christian agendas of the missionaries, the Westerners stood little chance in maintaining the socialist standing of the Japanese. It is the main reason for the support of the Jesuits by the Chinese neo-Confucianists. Eventually, the objective was accomplishing with the Catholic church establishing the spiritual and ethical bearing of the Japanese people.

The Genuine Spread of the Word of God

The Christian faith is founded on the belief of helping all to see the kingdom of God. As noted, the Catholic church of the 16th and the 17th centuries had appreciable power. Therefore, the leadership of the Church in Rome was informed of the Buddhist and Taoist beliefs in Japan and native China (Berger 62). They found that the two sets of religions contravened the spiritual way of the church and the gospel of the Bible. Thus, the Jesuits mission was intended to transform the Japanese society and deliver salvation to the people of the Japanese empire. Some of the projects that Jesuits accomplishment was the establishment of preliminary churches and schools that essentially taught the Japanese people the ways of civilization and the adherence to the basic teachings of the Bible (Berger 66). Additionally, the church represented by the Jesuits took advantage of the neo-Confucians to replace the Buddhism and Taoism and Christianity.

The Preparation of Japan for Civilization Wars That Were Bound to Happen

The insurgence of the Neo-Confucians and the Jesuits was intended to prepare the Japanese society for the future civil wars that were already predicted by the 16th century. In the study of the history of Japan, the people were used to living in the rural areas due to their belief in the Buddhism and Taoism which were both anchored in nature. However, the Chinese and the Roman Catholic church had foreseen the wards that would characterize the better part of the 18th, 19th and the 20th centuries (Berger 69). They needed Japan to be ready both regarding the military and psychologically to contribute in the war against the socialists. Thus, the Christianity brought by the Jesuits, and the adherence to ethics as suggested by the neo-Confucians was meant to prepare the Japanese society for the future.

Conclusion

In summary, the entry of the Jesuit missionaries and the neo-Confucians in the Japanese Empire in the 16th century led to the formation of one of the most formidable alliances in the history of civilization. Its precedence was the social and political change that would affect the people's readiness for civilization. The change of beliefs and the adoption of the Christian lifestyle was also a reason for the insurgency. Nevertheless, the main motivational attribute was the Japanese society's beliefs of the Buddhism and Taoism. Thus, the neo-Confucianism Jesuit mission in the 16th century impacted on the history of the Japanese society.

Work Cited

Berger, Peter L. "The desecularization of the world: A global overview." The New Sociology of Knowledge. Routledge, 2017. 61-76.

Levi, Nicolas. "The Impact of Confucianism in South Korea and Japan." Acta Asiatica Varsoviensia 26 (2013): 7-15.

Pina, Isabel. "The Jesuit missions in Japan and in China: two distinct realities. Cultural adaptation and the assimilation of natives." Bulletin of Portuguese-Japanese Studies 2 (2001): 59-76.