Jesuits In America

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The discovery of the Americas inspired the desire to explore for a multitude of counties and societies throughout Europe as it represented opportunity during a time in which this was often restricted. Social mobility was limited due to absolutism in government and religious freedom was becoming a dilemma due to the conflicts between Protestants and Catholics. One faction, the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, became known for traveling to regions all over the world to strive for their specific objective. They aimed to convert nonbelievers in order to spread the teachings of Catholicism as a response to the Reformation movement that shook Europe. Jesuits also placed a great emphasis on created educational establishments. To them, the Americas represented a land full of uneducated, potential Catholic converts and this inspired them on missions of discovery. They were especially impactful in South America, specifically in what is now known as Brazil and Paraguay. While their efforts are often portrayed as a sacrificial effort with the noble intention of saving souls, it truly sought to increase the power of their order, the Catholic Church, and the country of Spain. Jesuits used religion as a justification for the political advantages gained by their …show more content…

This act transferred the power they had gained by their possession of the reduction sites to Spain. Before their removal, the Jesuits had used the New World similarly as other explorers of the time, to increase their standing; however, they maintained the pretense of caring for the natives’ souls. Their power, arose from their ability to obtain converts; the conversion was described as transforming “the foreign and dangerous into the familiar, the pleasurable, and the valuable.” Jesuits exploration of the New World and their interactions with inhabitants were to benefit the order, the Catholic Church and

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