Jesuit Mission Strategies and Their Impact: A Comparative Study of Japan and New France (16th - 18th Centuries)

Authors : Yasemin Gültekin

Pages : 164-173

Doi:10.21551/jhf.1719558

View : 77 | Download : 43

Publication Date : 2025-07-03

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study aims to examine the practices of Jesuit missionary activities in the geographies of Japan (16th–17th centuries) and New France (17th–18th centuries) from a comparative perspective. These two mission experiences, which took shape in different cultural, political and religious contexts, show significant differences and similarities in terms of the relations established by the Jesuits with the local societies, the cultural adaptation strategies they implemented and the methods in the Christianization processes. In this context, the main purpose of the study is to understand the effects of missionary activities on local societies by analyzing the tactical adaptation strategies developed by the Jesuit missionaries in line with the social structures and balances of power they encountered. The qualitative research method was adopted in the study; historical documents such as missionary letters, travel books, official reports and secondary literature were used as sources. With the comparative historical analysis method, the road maps followed by the Jesuits were analyzed both in the feudal structure and religious intolerance environment in Japan and in the relatively flexible colonial order in New France. The findings obtained reveal that the Jesuit missions undertook not only a religious but also a socio-political function. The study aims to make a critical contribution to missionary history in the context of intercultural relations.
Keywords : Cizvitler, Japonya, Misyonerlik Faaliyetleri, Toplumsal Yapı, Yeni Fransa

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