# data[].attributes.body
Kouamé, Nathalie. “Sûden's Anti‑Christian Edict (the) (1614).” Encyclopédie des historiographies : Afriques, Amériques, Asies - Sûden's Anti‑Christian Edict (The) (1614). Presses de l'Inalco, January 1, 1970. https://books.openedition.org/pressesinalco/31744?lang=en#:~:text=This%20text%20from%201614%20was,of%20anthologies%20of%20historical%20documents.

Ledford, Adam. “Christians in Kyushu: A History.” Tofugu. Tofugu, January 8, 2015. https://www.tofugu.com/japan/history-of-christianity/#:~:text=After%20a%20century%20of%20chaos,long%20to%20create%20and%20maintain.

Labbe, Savannah A. “Religion and the State: The Influence of the ... - Gettysburg College.” The Cupola, April 2017. https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1643&context=student_scholarship.

# data[].attributes.body
Ishin purposefully did not talk much about what Christians believed, other then “These are truly the enemies of the gods and the enemies of Buddhas. If [their presence, their doctrine, and their activities] are not rapidly forbidden, then in the future the State will necessarily have cause to lament.” However, he never actually talked about what was so wrong with Christian doctrine. He pinned Christians as evildoers that went against Japanese society, yet did not explicitely explain himself properly.

# data[].attributes.headline
What does the author leave out and why does he/she leave it out (if you know)?

# data[].attributes.subject
What does the author leave out and why does he/she leave it out (if you know)?

# data[].attributes.body
Ishin Suden does not actually provide a working plan of how to eradicate the Christian religion, because he mainly disagreed with their theology rather then wanting to kill them. However, and because Tokugawa told him to write the edict over one night, he scrambled write and make Christian missionaries "outlaws."

# data[].attributes.headline
Does this piece inaccurately reflect anything about the time period?

# data[].attributes.subject
Does this piece inaccurately reflect anything about the time period?

# data[].attributes.body
The text of the Anti-Christian Edict is quite illegible, and is not easy to understand. The edict is intertwined with a bunch of notions, idea, citation etc. This edict appears to have very little logic, and makes obsure allusions about the Christian faith. Ishin, does not even know much about the Christian faith while he was writing the letter. He does talk about the Japanese culture, but his work resembles patchwork.

# data[].attributes.headline
How could we verify the content of the piece?

# data[].attributes.subject
How could we verify the content of the piece?

# data[].attributes.body
We can verify the conent of this piece because it was the first step towards total eradication of the Christian faith in Japan. This Sakoku Edict of 1635 was a Japanese decree that intended to eliminate foreign influence from all countries, and was enforced by the strict government that occupied the island with strict rules and regulations. This was everything that Tokugawa Ieyasu would have wanted. The Sakoku Edict was issued by Tokugawa Imitsu, the shōgun of Japan, from 1623 to 1651.

# data[].attributes.headline
What part of the story can we NOT tell from this document?

# data[].attributes.subject
What part of the story can we NOT tell from this document?

# data[].attributes.body
How the Japanese government was going to eliminate Christianity completely. Nor can we tell what the Christians were doing to go agaisnt the established authority of the government other then them having different ideologies then the Japanese established religions.

# data[].attributes.headline
What can We Tell about the Author’s Perspectives from the Piece?

# data[].attributes.subject
What can We Tell about the Author’s Perspectives from the Piece?

# data[].attributes.body
We can tell that the Author's perspective of in the piece appears purely as an ideological disagreement. Sûden never talks into the details of concrete measures to be taken to eradicate the Christian religion in Japan, but he talks more about Japanese identity, and how Christians are "going against their culture."

# data[].attributes.headline
Does the author represent a particular ‘side’ of a controversy or event?

# data[].attributes.subject
Does the author represent a particular ‘side’ of a controversy or event?

# data[].attributes.body
The author of the edict, monk Ishin Sûden represented an anti-Christian view of how Catholicism was affecting the island.

# data[].attributes.headline
Under what circumstances was this piece created and how does this piece reflect those circumstances

# data[].attributes.subject
Under what circumstances was this piece created and how does this piece reflect those circumstances

# data[].attributes.body
This piece was created under fear and hatred for the Christian Europeans that were telling people about Christ. "The idea that the identity, as well as the political order of Japan was threatened by the presence, the activities, and the ambitions of Christian missionaries, and as a consequence, the Japanese must expel these missionaries, ban the foreign religion, and punish those who rebel."

https://books.openedition.org/pressesinalco/31744?lang=en#:~:text=The%20central%20theme%20of%20the,and%20punish%20those%20who%20rebel.

# data[].attributes.headline
What can you tell about the time period?

# data[].attributes.subject
What can you tell about the time period?

# data[].attributes.body
The Tokugawa period was marked by internal peace, political stability, and economic growth. Throughout this time period, there were a lot more restrictions on social class and this could have impacted the Japanese converts who could have been intermarrying between classes, which was not allowed.

# data[].attributes.body
The Anti-Christian Edict happened because the Military Government Leader Tokugawa believed that the Christians wanted to take over the country, and that they were going against traditional law.

# data[].attributes.headline
What Impact/Significance Does this have and on Who or What?

# data[].attributes.subject
What Impact/Significance Does this have and on Who or What?

# data[].attributes.body
This impacted the Christian converts and also the European missionaries that brought with them Catholicism. There was strict rules were set in place to prevent the missionaries from leaving the country of Japan. If there was anyone that tried to escape, or anyone who managed to leave and then returned, was to be executed. Europeans who were able to sneak into Japan illegally, would also face the execution.

# data[].attributes.body
This took place in the Kai and Shinano provinces of Japan.

# data[].attributes.headline
Who is Involved? People, Leaders, Nations

# data[].attributes.subject
Who is Involved? People, Leaders, Nations

# data[].attributes.body
Zen Monk Ishin Suden who wrote the Edict. Shogunate Tokugawa Ieyasu who approved and commanded Ishin to write the document to ban Christianity. Hidetada the shogun who had to have his signature on the document which would put the text into immediate legislative value.

# data[].attributes.headline
Can it Tell You More then on the Surface?

# data[].attributes.subject
Can it Tell You More then on the Surface?

# data[].attributes.body
The Anti-Christian Edict tells me that more about the ego of the Japanese government more then the regious tradition. Much like the Catholic Church did during this time, Buddhist were a huge part in the government. They were the ones who taught literacy, education, and traditional arts. For another major religion to come in, threatened to take Buddhisms place. This would therefore take away the established powers that were given to high ranking Buddhists, and therefore the government wanted Christianity gone.

# data[].attributes.body
The main theme of the edict was that the identity as well as the political order of Japan was being threatened by the presence, the activities, and the ambitions of Christian missionaries and that, as a consequence, the Japanese needed to expel these missionaries, ban Christianity, and punish those who rebel.

https://books.openedition.org/pressesinalco/31744?lang=en#:~:text=This%20text%20from%201614%20was,%E5%AE%B6%E5%BA%B7%20(1542%E2%80%911616).

# data[].attributes.body
Tokugawa got Ishin Suden to write a set of rules against the Christian Church in Japan. Ishin was a Buddhist Monk, and an educated man, however he was only given one night to write the Edict, and did not have a lot of knowledge about the Christian faith.

# data[].attributes.headline
Who was the Target Audience and How can I Tell?

# data[].attributes.subject
Who was the Target Audience and How can I Tell?

# data[].attributes.body
The target audience of the Anti-Christian Edict was against the Catholic Christians and the missionaries that were bringing the good news of the gospel. I can tell, because the name of the Edict was "Anti-Christian." Additionaly, he did not go against any other religions that had been established during that time period.

# data[].attributes.body
The Anti-Christian Edict existed because Tokugawa Shogunate thought that Christianity was going against the authorities, and exhibited anti-social behaviour, and did not want to accept the religions that had previously been established in Japan.

# data[].attributes.headline
Is There Anything we Need to Know About the Author that is Perminent to our Evaluation?

# data[].attributes.subject
Is There Anything we Need to Know About the Author that is Perminent to our Evaluation?

# data[].attributes.body
Ishin Suden was a Buddhist Monk, and did not know much about the Christian faith while he was writing the Anti-Christian Edict. (1614)

# data[].attributes.body
The text was written by the Zen monk named Ishin Suden at the behest of Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1614. Then it was taken by Itakura Katsushige to the imperial capital to show his father and he published multiple copies.

# data[].attributes.body
This edict was made January 31st, 1614.

# data[].attributes.body
Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was the Shogunate (leader of Japan) got Ishin Suden to make the Anti-Christian edict. Tokugawa was the facilitator of this edict, but it was Ishin that wrote it.

# data[].attributes.headline
Is There Anything we Need to Know About the Author that is Perminent to our Evaluation?

# data[].attributes.subject
Is There Anything we Need to Know About the Author that is Perminent to our Evaluation?

# data[].attributes.body
Tokugawa was the Shogunate which was the military government that made decisions on what he thought was best for the country, and in the name of the Emperor. He told Ishin Suden to write this set of rules for Christians because he was afraid that Christianity would overthrow the order of hierarchy that the Japanese government had struggled to establish and maintain.

# data[].attributes.headline
What can you tell about the author from this piece?

# data[].attributes.subject
What can you tell about the author from this piece?

# data[].attributes.body
I can tell that Tokugawa was afraid of losing the power that he had established. I can also tell that the established religion Zen Buddhism was more important to the Japanese leaders then freedom of religion.

# data[].attributes.body
This takes place during Tokugawa Period during Tokugawa's reign as Shogunate in the year 1614.