Rodrigues, o Intérprete: Um Jesuíta Português no Japão e na China do Século XVI

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

440 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.