A Tender Grace: The Sacred Feminine in Silence by Shusaku Endo and Martin Scorsese

Dr. Van Gessel’s talk will begin with an overview of Christianity in Japan, from the early days of successful proselytizing to the brutal persecution of Japanese converts, forcing many, known as “hidden Christians,” to go underground to continue their religious practices. He will then move on to the great work, Silence (1966), by Shūsaku Endō, a historical novel probing the meaning of faith in times of oppression. 

In 2016, Martin Scorsese released his film adaptation of Silence, a project he had been planning for nearly forty years. As a specialist in Endō’s works, Dr. Gessel was asked to be a literary consultant to Scorsese to help him capture, as faithfully as possible, what the original Japanese text said. Gessel’s most important input focused on what happens as Fr. Rodrigues ultimately encounters the profound gift of Grace and comes to understand the sacred, feminine nature of Christ.