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Church and State Distinct but Mutually Influential
Church and State Distinct but Mutually Influential
Church-state relationship in the world
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Bartolomé de Las Casas presents, for its time, an astounding claim human equality before God. Defending the native people of the New World from the violence executed by Spain and the claims to authority given voice by Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda, Las Casas provides a precocious assertion of human rights and the limits on civil and church authority. In this paper I will argue that Las Casas makes a nuanced assessment of civil government, to which he gives a vital but limited authority. I further propose that Las Casas, even while holding to the traditional and scriptural authority of the church, ascribes a similarly circumscribed earthly authority. The effect of these positions is to afford to non-Christians rationality and the freedom of self-government. My assessment of Las Casas’ thought will begin with Las Casas’ view of civil authority and then move to his description of the church’s role in the world. I shall then turn to his defense of the rationality and freedom of the indigenous Americans. Las Casas presents a nuanced view of the authority of civil government, upholding its validity while introducing a theological critique of its abuses. Las Casas’ very approach implicitly endorses the authority of the civil government within human, earthly order. Much of his intent in his Defense is to appeal to governing powers to use their authority as Las Casas’ believes God would have them. This priority is instantiated the opening summary of the Defense. Las Casas has made his arguments as a response to Emperor Charles’ call for the Valladolid Debates. In response to Las Casas’ thought, the initial summary of the Defense ascribes to Emperor Charles the pontifically decreed authority over the “Indians who live near the Ocean S... ... middle of paper ... ...time. Las Casas’ retains a basic concern for the spread of the gospel. Yet he attends to what the gospel itself means for how it should be spread. Church and state, contends Las Casas, commandeer the power of Christ when they compel conversion by violence. Thus, they abrogate the very civilization and gospel they claim to serve. For Las Casas, the true messengers of God adhere to the true message of God: they call people to Christ by the love due to equal, rational beings created in the image of God. Works Cited Defense 3 Defense 294 Defense 279 Defense 38-39 Defense 39-40 Defense 4 Defense 297 Defense 104-5 Defense 115 Witness 139 Defense 288 Defense 299 Defense 287 Defense 283-85 Defense f 37 Defense 44-46 Defense 42 Gutierrez, Introduction to Witness, xviii Defense 47 Witness 141 Defense 302
In George E. Tinker’s book, American Indian Liberation: A Theology of Sovereignty, the atrocities endured by many of the first peoples, Native American tribes, come into full view. Tinker argues that the colonization of these groups had and continues to have lasting effects on their culture and thus their theology. There is a delicate balance to their culture and their spiritual selves within their tightly knit communities prior to contact from the first European explorers. In fact, their culture and spiritual aspects are so intertwined that it is conceptually impossible to separate the two, as so many Euro-American analysts attempted. Tinker points to the differences between the European and the Native American cultures and mind sets as ultimately
One of the most interesting aspects of Diaz’s narrative is towards the end when Cortés broaches the subject of Christianity with Montezuma. Conversion and missionary work was one of the most important and lasting goals of the conquistadors and other contemporary explorers, they were charged with this duty by the rulers who sent t...
The study of religion is often a rigorous process because the central tenets of the subject: image, ritual, and myth are often copious in their complexity. For example, consider the multiple meanings that are inherent in the image of a crucifix. Some Christians might view it as an image of suffering, whilst others would reject that notion and instead perceive it to be one of love. These differences may seem inconsequential at first, but they can overtime shape the beliefs of an individual and by extension a community. To understand this dynamic better one only has to analyze the Christo Aparecido (Christ Appeared), an authentic Mexican crucifix with a fascinating history from the colonial era to the present. This history is made known by the text, Biography of a Mexican Crucifix: Lived Religion and Local Faith from the Conquest to the Present by Jennifer Hughes, from which I contend that over the life of the Christo Aparecido there continues to be an understanding among devotees that this crucifix is sacred because it displays animus while being a vestige for the sacred to occupy. To support my position I will attempt to relate the moments where the Christo Aparecido is said to show signs of life, in particular his stay in Mexico City during the colonial era and his role in more modern times with rival groups clashing over its efficacy in the village of Totolapan.
Bowden’s idea of why this happened focused mainly on the old misunderstood traditions of the tribes living in Mexico. He shows how the friars, churches and icons took the blunt of the revolts force. Bowden points out the religious differences and similarities be...
The discovery and conquest of American Indians inspired efforts to develop an ideology that could justify why they needed to enslave the Indians. The Spanish monarch wanted an ideal empire. "A universal empire, of which all their subjects were but servants. Charles V remained for them the dominus mundi, the legitimate and God-ordained lord of the world." (Weckmann, The Transit of Civilization, 23) Gold and religious conversion was the two most important inspirations for conquistadors in conquering America. Father Bartolome De Las Casas was a Dominican priest who came to the New World to convert the Indians to become Christians. He spent forty years on Hispanolia and nearby islands, and saw how the Spaniards brutally treated the Indians and sympathized with them. The Devastation of the Indies was an actual eyewitness account of the genocide by Las Casas, and his group of Dominican friars in which he demonizes the Spanish colonists and praises the Indians. Father Las Casas returned to Seville, where he published his book that caused an on going debate on whether the suppression of the Indians corrupted the Spaniards' values. What Las Casas was trying to achieve was the notion of human rights, that human beings are free and cogent by nature without the interference of others.
Bartolomé de Las Casas is the first people who promote the human rights in the world. In the short-term, his effort makes American native people no longer be enslaved by Spanish colonist. The book A Short Account of the Destruction of The Indies is a very important historical documents which record Spanish colonists’ atrocities. In the long-term, his opinion about the human rights has built a good preparation for the future
...tence it at least allowed him to educate the natives about Christianity and that their experiences before now with the Europeans were not of a Christian nature. Throughout the letter, Las Casas seems careful to be very consistent and never veers from ensuring that his audience knows of the atrocities of the people of their own land to the natives fellow humans. God has a plan for everyone and this is not it.
A question arises whether they felt “coerced” to use the court system because the judicial system was the only avenue, other than violence, in trying to right perceived wrongs. A careful examination of “Scandal at the Church: José de Alfaro Accuses Doña Theresa Bravo and Others of Insulting and Beating His Castiza Wife, Josefa Cadena (Mexico, 1782),” illustrates the surprising role of an elite court system as an equalizer within a socially-stratified society. More specifically to this case, the court acted as a vehicle to restore honour in an attack from an upper class society member to someone in a class lower. The chapter chronicled a criminal proceeding initiated by the plaintiff because of the injury and insult inflicted upon his wife by the defendant and her family. The physical injuries inflicted on José de
Although it may not have seemed fairly difficult in theory, The Pope along with the Crown of Spain set out with the goal to convert the Native Americans. One decisive factor that challenged that decree of conversion was the economic benefits that Spain would receive. This would eventually change the agendas of Spain, and ultimately it would indirectly make those living in the New World choose: Spain or Religion? This was not said in these exact words, but people, especially religious orders would have to choose to fight for what they believed in, or to follow the orders straight from the Spanish Crown.
All through the history of the world there have been superior civilizations that have taken over other groups and have forced them in to situations that would seem unimaginable to the most people today. The same situation once happened to the native people that live in what today is considered the south west of the United States. In 1550 Francisco Vásquez de Coronado led a Spanish conquest in the Rio Grande valley the area that a number of pueblo people made this area there home and sacred lands. With Coronado eading the way the gate was opened to the rest of the Spaniard who were looking for their share of fame and riches. After Coronado fruitless search of the seven cities of gold, then Juan de Oñate decided to try his luck in the southwest. Oñates was equipped with a different type of help other than the usual conquistadores, he was came along with at group of Franciscans. With the Spaniard in search for God, Gold and Glory they quickly realized that there was no Gold or Glory in the South west and the viceroy in Mexico quickly came to the conclusion to withdraw and give more of there attention to the other more lucrative areas of there empire. But there seemed to be one small probel the God part of the god, gold and glory, the Franciscans that came up with Oñates objected to the idea of leaving. The Franciscan view it as their duty to convert the natives who in their eyes where living in sin and would go to hell if the friars would not intervene and show them the way to salvation.
This essay does not attempt to make a case that the United States of America has special standing with God as a modern chosen nation. I do not dispute that America is exceptional. However, American Exceptionalism applies to exceptional qualities of the United States in relationship to other nations. At its inception those qualities included limited government that exists to protect and defend the free exercise of inalienable human rights. But even these noble principles do not indicate the United States exists because God established an exclusive and
While the far-away North American tribes were having their land taken away, and being harassed by white American expansionists, they also faced another threat: Spanish occupation. During the early-1500’s, many Spanish explorers and conquistadors, such as Cabeza de Vaca, wished to find gold and riches and, in the process, they harassed, oppressed, tortured, and spread deadly diseases to the Native tribes. They often used the excuse of racial class-separation, known as “castas,” to justify their rotten, atrocious crimes. Throughout the 1600’s and 1700’s, the focus of the Spanish explorers experienced a shift from conquistadors wishing to acquire gold and wealth to Catholic missionaries wishing to religiously convert the Native tribes and, as a result, they built up many churches on the land. As one might guess, the
Although Las Casas was an avid reformer toward the end of his life, the same cannot be said of the beginning of his life. Critics of viewing Las Casas as a saint would point to this as reason to not regard him as the good guy.
Throughout the history of early modern Europe, toleration of those with differing philosophies and beliefs is a topic of constant discussion and action. Some like Locke would argue that a society had moral foundations, regardless of the type of religion as long as one existed. However, others like Heinrich Kramer would justify and rationalize the forced conversion and killing of those of different beliefs and religions. However, in order to gain an understanding of how these ideas function in the real world, one should examine additional texts. One such resource is Diaz Del Castillo’s the Conquest of New Spain, which details Hernan Cortes’ crusade throughout South America. Conversely, Cortes’ actions are not indicative of all explores, Matteo
The first Catholic priests came to South America with the conquistadors and through social and political force superimposed 16th century Catholicism upon conquered peoples and in subsequent generations upon slaves arriving in the New World. Catholicism has, likewise, frequently absorbed, rather than confronted, popular folk religious beliefs. The resulting religion is often overtly Catholic but covertly pagan. Behind the Catholic facade, the foundations and building structure reflect varying folk religious traditions. (2)