Indigenous Religion: A Comparative Analysis

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The scholars that compose the third and final distinctive wave within historiography tend not to classify themselves within the traditional matrixes. For example, they do believe that different degrees of resistance existed in both New Spain and colonial Peru, yet they choose not to use the categorization of resistance to define their work. Kenneth Mills states that “the image of a constraining mechanism of repression facing off against an unified but embattle adversary (idolatry) would seem to oversimply colonial Andean religious realities.” Historians who argue that the Catholicism and Indigenous religions can only be found in opposition to each other are disregarding the complexity of colonial religion. Militaristic language was commonly …show more content…

Rather than describing the historians of the third matrix as filling in the missing gaps found in previous literature, they are including aspects that they considered to be ignored. The matrix of acculturation and naturalization demonstrates how there were those who had a desire to learn about Catholicism and how they rationalized the new religion by using personal experience with their own religion. Due to the oppressive nature of the inquisition and the idolatry eradication campaigns, genuine conversion is normally overlooked as implausible result. While resistance is a very popular conclusion to come to when discussion Indigenous conversion, not all acts performed were done so with the intention of resistance in mind. This is one of the main goals that scholars of the last matrix. By challenging preconceived conceptions of colonial religiosity in New Spain and colonial Peru, historians aim to retell the story of conversion through Indigenous …show more content…

The theory of the complete Christianization and assimilation of the Indigenous people in colonial Mesoamerica, argued by Ricard, falls short. Those within the second wave would argued for the blatant resistance present in the scenario. Offering coca leaves to Andean idols suggests either the failure of the rushed teachings of the friars or the complete disregard for the Christian religion. Some scholars, both in the 1990’s and today, wrongly suggest this scenario can be explained by the inability to appreciate Catholic doctrine. Historians of the third matrix would argue that the actions itself are not committed out of ignorance or resistance, but rather it was their process of understanding Christianity by comparing similar practises and rituals. While historians may never come to a cohesive conclusion, it is important to understand that even in the midst of resistance, genuine conversion can be found if one allows the possibility to be

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