Silence

This historical novel by Shusako Endo examines the meaning of faith, the problem of doubt, and the message of Christianity. A quibble centers around the concept contained in the title: The priest who resists apostatizing and who sees Japanese tortured and killed because of his resistance is bewildered by and eventually angry at the "silence" of God in the face of these travails. But isn't this a primitive position for a trained Jesuit, even considering the action takes place in the 17th century? What would the much-desired absence of this "silence" look like? A miracle from the heavens, say a bolt of lightning killing Inoue, a Japanese magistrate? It seems a false choice when silence is framed in this way, with no real answer possible. But elsewhere, the theological dilemmas and the weaknesses (and heroism) of humans are presented in a deeply affecting way.