Christian Sorcerers on Trial

Delightful and deeply engaging. . . . Essential reading for scholars of Japanese religions, especially those interested in early modern Japan or the history of Christianity in Japan. * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *
This is a brilliant volume. Christian Sorcerers on Trial is not only a very useful resource, both for specialists of Japanese religions and for scholars of early modern Japanese history, but also a captivating read for a general audience. * Japanese Journal of Religious Studies *
This important book performs a number of functions: it tells a fascinating story, it reveals much of the life of men and women in Kyōto and Ōsaka in the mid-nineteenth century, and it is a mine of information on juridical procedure. * Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies *
For students and scholars of late Edo Japan, the material is truly fascinating as it vividly exposes society’s inner mechanisms and folk practices that other primary sources generally do not touch upon . . . highly recommended reading. * Japan Review *
A fascinating study of many of the secrets of the Kirishitan sect, revealing surprising and little-known facts about their religious practices, as well as being an interesting exploration into the mindset and attitudes of the devotees themselves. This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in Japanese religion, in Christianity, in Japanese history, law, or politics. * Contemporary Japan *
Christian Sorcerers will be eagerly read by historians of Japan and scholars of comparative legal history, but should also have a much wider appeal. It is above all the moving story of a group of people by no means evil who became subject to a ruthless and, to modern sensibility, excessive punishment for relatively minor offenses. -- James McMullen * Monumenta Nipponica *
Christian Sorcerers on Trial is a model of consummate scholarship and at the same time a gripping narrative which will be of great interest not just to students of Japanese religion and history, but to anyone curious about Japan in the decades immediately before its so-called “opening up” by the West . . . a fine example of what collaborative modern scholarship can do with complex and copious source material: highly recommended for specialists and non-specialists alike. * Asian Review of Books *
Christian Sorcerers on Trial offers a deep insight into the lives of Osaka’s 19th century underclass. * All the Anime *
Christian Sorcerers on Trial is a fascinating, startling, and revealing introduction to and translation of rich primary texts from a little-known but important episode in Japanese religious and cultural history. Scholars of Japanese religion, Japanese history, and Christian history will benefit from it. -- Elizabeth Morrison, Middlebury College
This is a monumental study of Edo-period religious life, presenting the prosecution and crucifixion of the healer Toyoda Mitsugi who was charged with secretly practicing Christianity. Based on the most detailed testimonies ever compiled of the lives of popular religionists, their colorful clients, and the processes of their judicial interrogation, this work makes for truly fascinating reading. -- Helen Hardacre, author of Shinto: A History
Christian Sorcerers is a veritable gold mine for understanding the late Edo period.These translations reveal much about popular religion, the failure of the shogunate to eradicate the “pernicious” Kirishitan sect, the lingering influence of the Christian religion, and the legal procedures and punishments for dealing with religious deviancy. This volume is destined to become a standard resource in the field. -- Mark R. Mullins, University of Auckland
Masterfully translated and deeply revealing, Christian Sorcerers on Trial is a powerful example of the way legal records can be used to illuminate the cultural and mental universe of an era. Certainly no one who reads it will ever think of Ōshio Heihachirō without recalling the story of Mitsugi, the extraordinary woman whose case he pursued so relentlessly. -- Daniel Botsman, author of Punishment and Power in the Making of Modern Japan
Thanks to this sourcebook, students of Tokugawa Japan are now poised to examine further the multilayered dynamics of anti-Christianity and governance in early modern Japan. * Journal of Religion in Japan *
Meticulously and skillfully presented multiple aspects of the judicial system and the social and religious life of the
Edo era making it a highly recommended and an engaging read for scholars and students of Japanese Religions. * Religious Studies Review *