Padre Antonio Vieira's Sermons about "slaveries"

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Recommended: Persecution a result of the hatred aimed at Jesus

Padre Antonio Vieira became a missionary priest and returned to Brazil in 1652, with very complex messages about slavery. His teachings could be interpreted as being against the Christian religion, but they raised a lot of questions about the slavery of the New World and whether or not the God's name was being used in vain. During his two sermons in Bahia and Sao Luis do Maranhao, he used his own beliefs of universal church to convert non-Christians to the faith. He uses the Bible, as his reference and his faith in God, as his guide to show that the settlers should treat the natives fairly and humanly. Vieira insisted on two main slaveries, that of the body and soul, and emphasizes that there is no forgiveness for selling your soul. Most of his teachings contradicted the Church and as a result, he was later expelled by the colonists and almost charged by the Monarchy. Padre Antonio Vieira tried to find a compromise between the settlers and the slaves and reflected a Biblical image on the sinners of the New World. During Vieira's first sermon in Salvador, Bahia, which took place during 1633, he describes the slavery as an inhuman business in which the merchandise is men. He shows his grief towards the slaves and describes to them the two transmigrations. The first transmigration is their slavery, which is an opportunity for them to enlighten trough Faith and Christ. The first transmigration is temporal and is a preparation for the second transmigration, which is the internal freedom in Heaven. He believes that every person consists of a body and soul, and the difference between a master and a slave lies only in the master's flesh, not his soul. The body is the only part that can be enslaved, but the sprit is as free as the wind.... ... middle of paper ... ...ira's descriptions of the order in the New World are very disturbing, because he compares them to a living Hell by giving crucial examples from the Bible. His main goal remains to build a peaceful society between the settlers and the natives. He believes that the slaves are being mistreated and forced to sin by their masters. This complicated war between the settlers and the natives leads to idolization of the Devil and contradicts God and the Bible. Vieira, being a religious man, wants to fulfill his obligations as a man of God and change the order of the New World. He emphasize the idea that a more fair and human treatment of the slaves would benefit them immensely. Most importantly, Padre Antonio Vieira has a divine wisdom and knowledge of the theological virtue of God and wants to share it with the sinners of the New World, creating a more Christian lifestyle.

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