Voluntarism and Coercion

Abstract Research on Franciscan missionaries in California has traditionally either emphasized or excused their use of physical violence indigenous people. This paper adopts a “boundaries” approach to highlight and explain how Franciscans were able both advocate for eschew coercion the same target audience without any perceived contradiction. The argues that unidirectional group boundaries, often mundane unproblematic, may, some instances, validate paradoxical combination external voluntarism internal when employed institutionally. study concludes with discussion relevance these theoretical concepts religion contemporary society.