Cultural Worlds of the Jesuits in Colonial Latin America

Cultural Worlds of the Jesuits in Colonial Latin America is result an international conference marking 250-year anniversary Jesuit expulsion from Spanish territories 1767. Edited by Linda A. Newson, 12 essays this volume largely turn away conversion efforts to order's other cultural contributions Portuguese and America. The black robes book develop language tools, introduce technologies, promote new artistic styles, study natural world, teach music. They may occasionally baptize offer spiritual instruction, but they rarely, if ever, pray, practice Spiritual Exercises, or Marian devotion. While one clearly cannot cover entire history Society Jesus Americas, as Newson openly confesses her introduction, it must be emphasized that primarily account activities South seventeenth eighteenth centuries. A few chapters some comparisons with New Spain, overall focused on southern Atlantic.While concerned legacies, transculturation—a familiar theme mission historiography—still drives analysis a chapters. Kate Ford highlights ways which Chiquito painters drew their own traditions rock painting, tattooing, body painting decorate churches. She reads art not work ingenious rather “fusion European decorative imagery indigenous memory” (p. 65). Clarissa Sanfelice Rahmeier studies introduction potter's wheel among Guaraní, altered how ceramics were made, who crafted them, conceptualized objects. Instead only looking at modified traditional forms pottery, she argues for coexistence Guaraní elements material culture missions Paraguay. These examples hybridity visual plastic arts mirror ceremonial changes taking place because disease. In dealing demographics, Oriol Ambrogio compares perceptions baptism frontiers Chile northwestern Mexico. He concludes Christian rituals local healing practices merged Indigenous peoples did see healers mutually exclusive worldviews.Another important circulation ideas, goods, Atlantic world beyond. Samir Boumediene offers fascinating look drug trade apothecaries formed part medical marketplaces both sides ocean. shows procuradores played roles circulating plants pharmacopoeia through systems exchanges established Madrid, Seville, Rome. Turning our focus ships mainstay early modern transportation, William G. Clarence-Smith shines spotlight millions mules estates. bred sold them cash, used operations, thus sustaining educational architectural programs fueling colonial economy. most are rooted entanglements, Gauvin Alexander Bailey extends his gaze Pacific reflect global character Jesus. fusion styles story art, demonstrates certain cases Brazil turned Chinese-inspired works churches.Most based texts, select Indigenous-language sources. Barbara Ganson Capucine Boidin draw expanding corpus which, point out, increasingly available today online databases. Concentrating adultery grammatization respectively, demonstrate Guaraní—much like intellectuals rulers central Mexico Andes—created “Euro-Amerindian legal political space” able voice concerns authorities crown 141). Vivien Kogut Lessa de Sá Caroline Egan highlight another aspect access texts: many never published ended up repositories curiosities. follow travel itinerary “Christian Doctrine Brazilian Tongue,” manuscript composed Tupi between 1549 1591 housed Bodleian Library. This catechism represents transatlantic connections Brazilians, Jesuits, English privateers.Transculturation, circulation, archival three themes emerging Worlds. rightly confirms being missionary was more than just preaching Christianity neophytes. When combined older narratives evangelization centered dialogues, enlarged spheres allows us construct holistic vision Jesuit-Indigenous encounters across Americas.