Religion, Race, and Gender in Early Modern Latin America

3 units

This seminar explores the history of religion, gender, and race in the context of empire in Latin America, focusing primarily on the colonial period (1492-1821), but including some pre-colonial materials. Through primary documents, secondary scholarship and student-centered discussion, we will consider connections between religious beliefs, gender norms and relations, and the ways race, class, and gender intersected with ideas about religion, empire and power. We will study the clash of religions that occurred during the conquest and its terrible aftermath, the politics of evangelization, and how marginalized subjects such as women, African slaves, and indigenous peoples navigated religious authoritarianism to develop their own spiritual beliefs and expressions.