A Christian Samurai: The Trials of Baba Bunkō by William J. Farge

A groundbreaking study challenges the long-held assumption that Christian writings were nonexistent in 18th-century Japan due to Tokugawa persecution, by identifying Baba Bunkō (1718–59), a former samurai and critic of the shogunate, as a hidden Christian. William J. Farge's work reveals Bunkō’s 'Christian' nature through subtle but unmistakable references in his writings—such as critiques of imperial and shogunal crests linked to the Shimabara rebellion’s Eucharistic symbolism—to argue that his works must be interpreted within a Christian context. This study employs innovative methods, including close textual analysis of ambiguous language and historical contextualization, to shed new light on early modern Japanese Christianity and its enduring influence.

Higashibaba, I. (2020). A Christian Samurai: The Trials of Baba Bunkō by William J. Farge. The Catholic Historical Review, 106(1), 148–150. https://doi.org/10.1353/cat.2020.0032