The Face of Christ

Rodrigues first mentions his fascination with the face of Christ at the very end of chapter one. There has never been a clear description of Christ's face, but countless artists throughout the ages have tried to capture what they feel best represents the Savior. Rodrigues does not know for sure what the face looks like, but he finds comfort in exploring the possibilities. The priest once saw a depiction of Christ at a seminary that portrayed the Savior as full of strength and vigor. This is the image Rodrigues loves and clings to the most.

At each stage of Rodrigues' time in Japan he compares himself with Christ. He tries to picture how Christ would have looked in the Garden of Gethsemane, during his trial and torture, and dying on the cross. For most of the book it seems that Rodrigues is concerned with the...