Rodrigues the Interpreter: An Early Jesuit in Japan and China

by Michael Cooper

Poucos homens viveram um percurso de vida tão aventuroso como João Rodrigues, um padre Jesuíta português. Durante os 56 anos que permaneceu entre o Japão e a China, ganhou a amizade de Toyotomi Hideyoshi e Tokugawa Ieyasu - dois dos três líderes nipónicos designados de 'Unificadores do Japão' - desempenhou um papel activo no comércio da seda entre a China e o Japão e durante alguns anos tornou-se o europeu mais influente da cidade de Nagasaki e, de certa forma, de todo o Japão.

Escreveu várias obras, destacando-se um estudo da gramática japonesa denominado 'Arte da Lingoa de Iapam', publicado em 1604 que integra um vasto registo literário dedicado à cultura nipónica. Entre outras obras de referência deste acervo, destacam-se também a 'Arte Breve da Língua de Japam' (1620) e 'A História da Igreja de Japam' (1634).

Rodrigues viajou por toda a China, esteve envolvido na controvérsia dos ritos, conduziu negócios oficiais em nome de Macau e tomou parte no conflito entre os Ming e os invasores Manchu.

Genres: History

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Please see: Michael Cooper


Michael John Cooper (1930 – 31 March 2018) was an American historian. Briefly a Jesuit himself, Cooper wrote extensively on 15th- and 16th-century encounters between Jesuit missionaries and Japan. He was editor of the journal Monumenta Nipponica in Tokyo for 26 years (1971–1996) and was also formerly a president of the Asiatic Society of Japan.

source: Wikipedia

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that the book is overall a good read for those who are interested in the period that the events take place in. I would like to give this book a 5-star rating, but they are a few problems with it, I see for someone who only knows English which is that majorly of the quotes used are in Portuguese and they don't give an English translation. Other than that, I think the book is interesting as well as useful for anyone looking to learn more about how they came to be a city in Japan that is a major Christian and the mission that this Jesuit took to make that happen. You don’t even have to be a Christian to enjoy a read in this book as it doesn't talk about the faith in a manner that would make some people want to not pick the book up or stop reading it.