Introductions

Summing up last class


 The expression “Primal religions” has not the same
meaning than “primitive religions”. However, the
first need an explanation. The last has a negative
“taste”.
 Syncretism vs. Symbiosis. Are we allowed to use a
biological metaphor into the religious or theological
field? Advantages? Can we avoid the negative ton of
syncretism?
 Recap

 South America: Is a massive Christian continent? The
answer is complicated, but at least, we cannot just
ignore the existence of a plurality of religions,
indigenous religions.

 The awareness of the plurality of indigenous

religions is essential. So, it is not possible to affirm
that indigenous religions are the same, each
indigenous religion has its own idea of the Ultimate
reality or its ultimate goal of life, its ultimate concern
(Tillich).
 The indian face of God

 Intention, the book’s objective: The intefral
evangelization of the indigenous peoples and their
cultures.
 Which is the Image that native peoples, native South
Americans of today have of God?
 Knowledge of mythical traditions, rituals and their
reinterpretation which the native peoples responded
to the first evangelization in order to bring about a
“second evangelization” that is truly in-culturated.
 
 There is a second element: evangelization truly
“liberating”.
 Gospel  Good News for the descendants of those
who witnessed the arrival of Columbus’s boats.
 The meaning to celebrate Columbus Day?
 Thinking the expression: With the Cross and Sword
Any thoughts?
 
 Is the coming together of the Church and cultures of
native American communities contradictory?
 Contradictions we need to overcome:
 Demonic character commonly attributed to the
indigenous religions by the Church
 The close relationship of the Church with the
colonial State, although now it is deplored by all.
 Is there a solution?
 
 Biblical basis about the demonic character of the
native religions?
 Bac 4,7 For you provoked your Make with sacrifices
to demons and not to God.
 Ps 96,5 For the Gods of the nations are idols, but the
Lord made the heavens.
 
 Some clear-thinking missionaries argued that the
indigenous religions had some valid points and that
natives knew the true God by the light of their
natural reason.
 José de Acosta, Concil of Lima (1582-83), Procuranda
Indorum Salute (1588)
 Bernabé Cobo, Historia del Nuevo Mundo (1653),
Religion of the Tawantinsuyo.
 Evangelization
methods?

 Tabula Rasa  Total destruction

 Little by little, Cf. Agustin

 Which solutions?
 Prophetic Protest, Bartolomé de las Casas
 Utopian Solution, Dom Vasco, Jesuit Reductions
 
 Main reason for Jesuits expulsion:
 To build an indigenous State within the State , according
the perception of Portuguese and Spaniards.
 During the colonial era one thing remain: the doctrines as
the crucible of the new cultural identity of the Indians.
 Need to overcome the double contradiction:
 Demonic character attributed to indigenous religions
 Evangelization bound to the colonial State domination.
 
 Resistance movements: Example: Taquiy Onqoy’s
(1565).

Other kind of resistance:

 Concealing/” the concealment of idols”, behind the
Christian saints.
 The beginning of an “Underground religiosity”.

Indigenous Christianity was not simply a transplant of the

Christianity of the missionaries