HIST 307A The Catholic Missionary Church in the Americas and Asia, 1500-1800
This course explores the history of Catholic missions in the Americas and Asia during the early modern period. Topics will include relations between missionaries, indigenous peoples, colonists, and crown officials during the conquest and settlement of the European empires; relations between Christians, Jews, and Muslims; the development of pastoral ideals and practices; America and Asia in European religious thought; and the comparative history of the Spanish and Portuguese empires. We will focus on the writings of early modern missionaries, especially Jesuits. Among the writers we will study are Josè de Acosta, Jean de Brèbeuf, Bartolomè de las Casas, Ignatius of Loyola, Alexandre de Rhodes, António Vieira, and Francisco de Vitoria.