Spanish American Saints and the Rhetoric of Identity, 1600-1810Spanish American civilization developed over several generations as Iberian-born settlers and their "New World" descendants adapted Old World institutions, beliefs, and literary forms to diverse American social contexts. Like their European forebears, criollos—descendants of Spanish immigrants who called the New World home—preserved the memory of persons of extraordinary Roman Catholic piety in a centuries-old literary form known as the saint's Life. These criollo religious biographies reflect not only traditional Roman Catholic values but also such New World concerns as immigration, racial mixing, and English piracy. Ronald Morgan examines the collective function of the saint's Life from 1600 to the end of the colonial period, arguing that this literary form served not only to prove the protagonist’s sanctity and move the faithful to veneration but also to reinforce sentiments of group pride and solidarity. When criollos praised americano saints, he explains, they also called attention to their own virtues and achievements. Morgan analyzes the printed hagiographies of five New World holy persons: Blessed Sebastián de Aparicio (Mexico), St. Rosa de Lima (Peru), St. Mariana de Jesús (Ecuador), Catarina de San Juan (Mexico), and St. Felipe de Jesús (Mexico). Through close readings of these texts, he explores the significance of holy persons as cultural and political symbols. By highlighting this convergence of religious and sociopolitical discourse, Morgan sheds important light on the growth of Spanish American self-consciousness and criollo identity formation. By focusing on the biographical process itself, Morgan demonstrates the importance of reading each hagiographic text for its idiosyncrasies rather than its conventional features. His work offers new insight into the Latin American cult of saints, inviting scholars to look beyond the isolated lives of individuals to the cultural and social milieus in which their sanctity originated and their public reputations took shape. |
Contents
Old World Continuities in the Lives | 39 |
St Rosa de Lima | 67 |
The Life | 99 |
Copyright | |
2 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Spanish American Saints and the Rhetoric of Identity, 1600-1810 Ronald Jay Morgan Limited preview - 2002 |
Spanish American Saints and the Rhetoric of Identity, 1600-1810 Ronald J. Morgan Limited preview - 2022 |
Spanish American Saints and the Rhetoric of Identity, 1600-1810 Ronald Jay Morgan Limited preview - 2002 |
Common terms and phrases
Aguilera Antonio Azucena de Quito beata beatification Brading canonization Castillo Catarina de San Catherine of Siena century chapter Christ Christian church colonial Compendio confessors convent Córdoba criollo cult devotion Dominican edited Felipe de Jesús Felipe's female Franciscan Francisco hagiographic Hansen holy persons Iberian-born Ibid identity Indian indigenous Japón Jesuit José Lady of Guadalupe Leyba Loayza López Mariana de Jesús Martínez Maza Medina Meléndez Mexican Mexico City Morán Morán de Butrón narrative novohispano Nueva España Oviedo patria Pedro peninsular Peru Pichardo pious poblano Primera proceso protomártir published Puebla Quito religious Roman Catholic Rosa de Lima Rosa de Santa Rosa's Rubial Rubial García saint San Felipe San Juan Sánchez Parejo sanctity Santa María Santa Mariana Santa Rosa santo Sebastián de Aparicio sermons social Spain Spaniards Spanish America spiritual veneration Vida admirable Vida de Santa Vida y martirio Vida y milagros Virgin Virtudes y milagros virtues women World
References to this book
Christians, Blasphemers, and Witches: Afro-Mexican Ritual Practice in the ... Joan Cameron Bristol No preview available - 2007 |
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through World History: [3 Volumes] Jill Condra No preview available - 2008 |