Book Review: In Spite of Dungeon

Title: In Spite of Dungeon

Author: Dorothy C. Haskin

Date: 1962

Publisher: Zondervan

ISBN: none

Length: 150 pages

Illustrations: black-and-white photos

Quote: "What they preach and teach is believed not because they can sing, 'faith of our fathers,' but because they can sing, 'In spite of dungeon, fire and sword...we will be true.'"

Faith of our fathers, living still
In spite of dungeon, fire and sword:
Oh, how our hearts beat high with joy
Whene'er we hear that glorious word!
Faith of our fathers, holy faith,
We will be true to thee till death.

Are children still taught this classic hymn, or has it been declared sexist because we used to think that adding a verse about the "faith of our mothers" would be a joke? Someone missed a real educational opportunity with my fifth grade class. When we were singing "Faith of our mothers" as a silly "opposite," we should have been directed to compose verses specifically about women who suffered for their faith. And sing them. In public.

However, when Dorothy Haskin was sent on a quick tour of Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines, with a stop in India, to interview fifteen first-generation Christians who had endured at least financial losses for their faith, she met only men. Apparently no women wanted to be interviewed, because it certainly was not that religious persecution was carried out in a chivalrous way. "Kim Joon-gon saw his wife and father beaten to death by the Communists," Haskin was told.

Names can be confusing. Haskin follows the oldfashioned rule of referring to people by the polite form of address in their country, which leaves the reader to discover that the chapter headed "Kim Moksa" (the Reverend Dr. Kim) is the one about Kim Joon-gon. Several Koreans introduced by their full names are later referred to as "Kim Si" or "Lee Si," explained as equivalent to Mr./Mrs./Miss Kim/Lee. In the chapter about "Kurumada Sensei," most references to this Japanese teacher in the text use his title and leave the reader to identify this polite phrase with a reference to "Kurumada Akiji," the old gentleman's name, on a prison list. Some other Christians adopted a saint's name, and used it in place of their original given names. Some foreign names do sound strange in English; Lee Yung-ho understandably preferred that the English text refer to him as Andrew Lee.

Anyway, the minister whose family were killed in North Korea is interviewed in chapter two. For younger Asian Christians, the sacrifices they made for their faith were subtler than literal "dungeon, fire, and sword." Matsuura Sensei, whose given name is not used in the text at all, owned a lumber mill. "The boiler man...was ready to throw himself in the fire when he thought of his mother. He has been taking care of her so he has gone to get her and they will both commit suicide," Matsuura was told. Just as he was ready to leave for a business trip, Matsuura's business went up in flames. He stopped, waited for the man and the weeping old lady to approach the fire, and gave them a direct order not to try to "make amends" by running into the blazing mill. He told his employees, "It is not the fault of the boiler man, but my fault... because I did not evangelize you...I am a Christian, but I have been too busy." Though this successful businessman took a heavy financial blow for his faith, his story (chapter six) is thoroughly cheerful.

Other stories, of individuals who sacrificed only lucrative jobs or political positions, may seem less dramatic...until you remember why these people were chosen to be interviewed. Willingness to tell Haskin their story in English was a major factor in the selection of the subjects for this book. Having reached a high level of indisputable success was a basic criterion. Haskin was not sent to interview storekeepers or taxi drivers, however devout, but business leaders, principal teachers or doctors, high-ranking political officials. These men were polite and modest, so they don't stress how, after having sacrificed one rewarding position, they found another, even better one. Neither does Haskin. The chapter heading is the punch line of at least two short, modest stories.

Despite her efforts to be polite Haskin's language has to be read with a sense of its historical context. "What kind of people" are Filipinos--"Oriental," Spanish, or American? she asks, introducing Dr. Virgilio Canlas, and answers, "They consider themselves Oriental." Six pages later, she concludes Dr. Canlas's mini-biography with "All in all, a Filipino makes a splendid Christian. His Oriental traits of native humility make good ground on which to build." Well, it passes the reversal test--sort of: "An Anglo-American makes a splendid Christian. His English traits of native..." what? Adventure-seeking? Money-making? I squirbled slightly. 

Maybe instead of reprinting this book, somebody should retrace Haskin's steps, write full biographies of these first-generation Christians now that (since they'd had distinguished careers before 1962) their stories can be regarded as complete, add some women and perhaps stories from additional countries, and use language that doesn't make modern readers queasy. A good non-denominational book on that topic, preferably written by a second- or third-generation Asian Christian, would be one I'd like to read. But, meanwhile, why let archaic phrasing ruin good true stories?