Silence and Beauty : Hidden Faith Born of Suffering

In this world of pain and suffering, God often seems silent. But light is yet present in darkness, and silence speaks with hidden beauty and truth.

Shusaku Endo's novel Silence, first published in 1966, endures as one of the greatest works of 20th-century Japanese literature. Its narrative of the persecution of Christians in 17th-century Japan raises uncomfortable questions about God and the ambiguity of faith in the midst of suffering and hostility.

Endo's Silence took vi…