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Paper short abstract:

This paper will present a comparison between the Catechism "Doutrina Cristã", written by the Portuguese Jesuit Marcos Jorge in 1566, and its Japanese version, translated primarily in 1568 and printed in 1591 in the press brought from Europe to Japan, by Alessandro Valignano in the previous year.

Paper long abstract:

In the 16th century, the production of Christian catechisms by either Catholic or Protestant authors in Europe increased considerably. These catechisms were brought to the Christian missions all over the globe and played an important role in the proselytizing work of the European missionaries overseas. However, with all the new encounters provided by the Great Navigations, these missionaries realized that a different approach was necessary for each and every population they intended to Christianize.

In Japan, the first two catechisms used in the evangelization of the local population were made inside the mission, by Jesuit priests that were working there. In the late 1560's, a doctrine written by the Portuguese Jesuit Marcos Jorge arrived in the archipelago and was immediately translated to Japanese. In 1570, the mission superior, Francisco Cabral, declared this doctrine as the official one for the Japanese mission.

Jorge's doctrine was the most used catechism within the Portuguese Padroado. Translations of it were made to at least five languages from three different continents where the Jesuits had missions. It surely may be considered a paradigm of the Jesuit Proselytizing politics inside the Portuguese empire.

From 1570 on, its Japanese version was the only catechism used in Japan by the Jesuits. In 1591, it was printed in the press brought from Europe by the Visitor of Eastern Indies, Alessandro Valignano. Therefore, the printed version was made after more than two decades of use and experimentation within the Japanese Christian population. In 1600, a revised edition was published, both in Roman and Japanese characters.

Although the Japanese version may well be considered a translation of Jorge's work, there are important modifications that deserve a special attention, notably the additions that were included. After years of use, the missionaries surely noticed that some points of the Christian doctrine had to be explained in a more detailed way for the Japanese. Thus, by analyzing these additions, it is possible to identify what was more polemic for that audience, when considering the Christian doctrine.