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Book Description
This scholarly exploration reveals the profound spiritual transformation that occurred when two worlds collided in 16th-century Mexico. Viviana Díaz Balsera examines the ambitious Christian missionary project that sought not merely political control, but the complete spiritual conversion of indigenous peoples in Central Mexico during the first century of Spanish colonization.
At the heart of this study lies the work of Franciscan missionaries, who arrived as the pioneering religious order and established the foundational strategies for evangelization throughout the Valley of Mexico. Rather than presenting a simple narrative of spiritual conquest, Díaz Balsera uncovers a complex process of cultural negotiation and unexpected transformation that affected both the colonizers and the colonized.
The book illuminates how the Nahua people, while receiving Christian teachings, simultaneously reshaped these spiritual concepts through their own cultural understanding. This created a unique form of hybrid Christianity where ancient indigenous ways of relating to the divine persisted alongside new religious practices. Through careful analysis of historical texts, confessionals, and theatrical works created by both Spanish missionaries and Nahua scholars, the author demonstrates how spiritual colonization became a two-way process of adaptation and resistance.
For readers interested in understanding how spiritual traditions evolve through cultural encounter, this work offers valuable insights into the dynamic nature of religious transformation and the resilience of indigenous spiritual wisdom.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~8 hours)
📄 Length: 270 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Sources
- ✓ Explore Christianity and other religions
- ✓ Explore Nahuas
- ✓ Explore Missie
- ✓ Explore History
- ✓ Explore Nahua (volk)
- ✓ Explore Franciscans
- ✓ Explore Franciscanen
