Counter-Reformation: Catholicism goes global
- Created by: Alasdair
- Created on: 24-05-18 13:37
View mindmap
- Counter-Reformation: Catholicism goes global (according Gerritsen, Gould and Marshall)
- Becoming a world religion
- Jesuits in forefront of crucial development
- because it was in the C16th and C17th that Catholicism (and Christianity) became, for first time, a world religion
- Jesuit missionaries, like Franciscan and Dominican friars, followed in wake of European overseas expansion
- linked to spread of Christianity to European attempts to infiltrate and control global networks of trade
- Jesuits in forefront of crucial development
- Serious questions due to Catholic encounters overseas
- were the the peoples they encountered to be considered 'full human beings' or 'natural slaves' (as Aristotle had maintained)?
- What should be done about pagan religions: were they to be rooted out or seen as building blocks for construction of new forms of indigenous Catholicism?
- One answer Jesuit formulated by Jose d'Acosta (1549-1600)
- Recognised 3 types of non-Christians
- Where degree of civilisation seemed similar to Europe, as in Japan or India
- Rational persuasion would be used
- For peoples without writing systems but with sophisticated political organisations such as Aztecs or Incas
- A Christian government would be instituted leaving some freedom of religious choice to locals
- Nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples
- Would best be treated as children, with force being used t bring about conversion where necessary
- Where degree of civilisation seemed similar to Europe, as in Japan or India
- Over time, no single solution was accepted and different circumstances led to variety of responses and solutions
- Recognised 3 types of non-Christians
- Portuguese, Africa, Asia and spread of Catholicism
- Spread of Catholicism to Africa Occurred mostly under auspices of Portuguese
- Portuguese highly ambitious from late C15th onwards
- aimed to control lands including Brazil, Southern Asia, the East Indies and Far East
- Portuguese highly ambitious from late C15th onwards
- Portuguese considered Muslim presence in northern Africa principal obstacle to easy access to riches of Asia
- Alliances with African rulers were formed as part of anti-Islamic crusade
- Conversion of African continent has been regarded as largely superficial
- driven by Portuguese ambitions to control lucrative trade with Asia
- According to Thornton
- Catholic missionaries toiling away in small enclaves along trade routes seem to have had little success in reaching populations inland
- In exceptional places where Christianity did flourish, it was in distinctly syncretic form
- Characterised by accommodation to African religious practices
- From 1498, Portuguese also had foothold on Indian Ocean coast
- Settlements remained largely coastal, included bases in:
- Mozambique
- Mombasa
- Mumbai
- Malacca
- Macoa
- Settlements remained largely coastal, included bases in:
- Christian communities on Malabar coast of India
- Drew members of religious orders
- Jesuit Francis Xavier
- One of original companions of Loyola
- Arrived in 1542
- Considered one of greatest Christian missionaries
- frequent letters home stirred interest in Asia throughout Catholic Europe
- Alessandro Valignano
- Settled in Goa in 1574
- Became nerve centre for Asian mission
- Settled in Goa in 1574
- Spread of Catholicism to Africa Occurred mostly under auspices of Portuguese
- Spanish and spread of Catholicism in Americas
- Responsible for mission to Americas
- Franciscans arrived in Caribbean in 1500
- along with Dominicans and Augustinians undertook evangelisation of Americas
- Due to shortage of priests, members of orders were initially granted privileges
- administering sacraments independently from bishops
- led to later conflicts that marred success of the mission
- administering sacraments independently from bishops
- Many native converts in Americas practiced syncretism
- blending elements of new religion with their own inherited customs
- provoked sporadic crack-downs on 'idolatry'
- contrasted attempts in Mexico and Peru to root out indigenous religious practices as these had met with mixed results
- Jesuits attempt to convert Japan
- Xavier
- arrived in Japan in 1549
- sent enthusiastic letters home about civilised people he found there
- sought to convert emperor
- but soon realised actual power had shifted to individual vassal lords, daimyo
- The daimyo
- keen on rituals and outward displays of power
- Underwhelmed, at first, by impoverished appearances of humble priests
- Only when Xavier made appearance in magnificent robes did he secure permission to use Buddhist monastery for his preaching
- High status of Chinese culture in Japan
- led to Xavier deciding to redirect efforts there
- Success of missionaries
- By end of C16th created thriving local Church
- Japanese Catholicism all but extinguished by ruthless persecution in early C17th
- Xavier
- Attempts to convert China
- Delay
- Xavier died on his way to China
- Jesuit entrance not allowed until 1583
- when Matteo Ricci moved inland from Portuguese base on island of Macao
- Matteo Ricci
- Acted in line with Jesuit policy
- adopted dress and customs of local elites
- learnt Chinese
- published text on principles of friendship
- Set out to convert Chinese emperor
- According to Spence,only had moderate success
- left behind approx. 2000 Christians at time of Ricci's death in 1610
- According to Spence,only had moderate success
- Acted in line with Jesuit policy
- Success of Chinese mission was ultimately severely dented by what became known as Rites Controversy
- Ricci and his successors had allowed Chinese to continue such practices as worship of Confucius and family ancestors
- referred to these as civil ceremonies
- Dominicans and Franciscans were strongly opposed to such accomodationist techniques
- Chinese disgruntled by internal conflicts
- In 1710, Pope officially condemned performance of ancestral rituals by Chinese converts
- when Chinese emperor became aware of behaviour among his subjects, Christianity was instantly banned in China
- Ricci and his successors had allowed Chinese to continue such practices as worship of Confucius and family ancestors
- Delay
- Overall levels of success
- For many Europeans, huge increase in numbers of Catholic Christians across globe, with as many as 10m baptised in Americas alone by 1550
- Came as kind of compensation for losses to Protestants in Europe and Turks in east
- In longer term
- activities of early modern missionaries laid foundations for dynamic Catholic cultures in Latin America and Philippines
- in ancient civilisations of South and East Asia impact was much more restricted
- For many Europeans, huge increase in numbers of Catholic Christians across globe, with as many as 10m baptised in Americas alone by 1550
- Becoming a world religion
Comments
No comments have yet been made