"Multiplex est modus": elements of accommodation in the early Jesuit missions to India, 1545-1575
<p>My project explores the methodologies of missionaries of the Society of Jesus in southern India between Francis Xavier's arrival in 1542 and the policy reforms under Alessandro Valignano in 1575, investigating the presence of cultural accommodation within the attitudes and decisions of...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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2020
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| _version_ | 1797093982392549376 |
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| author | Blankemeyer, BT |
| author2 | Strathern, AL |
| author_facet | Strathern, AL Blankemeyer, BT |
| author_sort | Blankemeyer, BT |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | <p>My project explores the methodologies of missionaries of the Society of Jesus in southern India between Francis Xavier's arrival in 1542 and the policy reforms under Alessandro Valignano in 1575, investigating the presence of cultural accommodation within the attitudes and decisions of various Jesuits. During the three decades between the Society’s foundation and Valignano’s arrival in India, Jesuits faced a number of issues both internally and externally, suggesting an organization prone to the influences of various individuals and contemporary ecclesiastical and secular politics. I argue that these factors presented limits to the development of more adaptive techniques which characterised cultural accommodation of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century through Matteo Ricci and Roberto de Nobili, and that analysing these can help illustrate why such a policy did not manifest during earlier decades.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, elements of accommodation appear in the voices of some Jesuits active during this period through their opinions regarding the primary objectives of mission. Although accommodation did not exist in a complete form in this period, I shall show that the basic underpinnings did emerge through the opinions and attitudes of some individuals on multifarious particulars, such as education, language, conversion, and identity. Following an ideological commitment to simultaneous contemplation and action, members of the Society of Jesus were afforded greater flexibility and mobility than their religious contemporaries, labouring across diverse environments throughout South Asia and beyond. Analysing the questions regarding Jesuit organisational procedures and relations with convert communities, non-Christians, the Portuguese state in India, and other clergy, this thesis aims to better illuminate the multiple ways individual Jesuits interpreted their purpose as well as pinpoint instances where elements of accommodation appeared through their interpretations.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T04:07:51Z |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oxford-uuid:c6d36ef9-5e3f-4a07-8ab2-6c41d0d86711 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T04:07:51Z |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:c6d36ef9-5e3f-4a07-8ab2-6c41d0d867112022-03-27T06:40:36Z"Multiplex est modus": elements of accommodation in the early Jesuit missions to India, 1545-1575Thesishttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_db06uuid:c6d36ef9-5e3f-4a07-8ab2-6c41d0d86711Catholic Church--Missions--IndiaSouth Asia--HistoryEarly modern, 1500-1700EnglishHyrax Deposit2020Blankemeyer, BTStrathern, ALDavidson, NS<p>My project explores the methodologies of missionaries of the Society of Jesus in southern India between Francis Xavier's arrival in 1542 and the policy reforms under Alessandro Valignano in 1575, investigating the presence of cultural accommodation within the attitudes and decisions of various Jesuits. During the three decades between the Society’s foundation and Valignano’s arrival in India, Jesuits faced a number of issues both internally and externally, suggesting an organization prone to the influences of various individuals and contemporary ecclesiastical and secular politics. I argue that these factors presented limits to the development of more adaptive techniques which characterised cultural accommodation of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century through Matteo Ricci and Roberto de Nobili, and that analysing these can help illustrate why such a policy did not manifest during earlier decades.</p> <p>Nevertheless, elements of accommodation appear in the voices of some Jesuits active during this period through their opinions regarding the primary objectives of mission. Although accommodation did not exist in a complete form in this period, I shall show that the basic underpinnings did emerge through the opinions and attitudes of some individuals on multifarious particulars, such as education, language, conversion, and identity. Following an ideological commitment to simultaneous contemplation and action, members of the Society of Jesus were afforded greater flexibility and mobility than their religious contemporaries, labouring across diverse environments throughout South Asia and beyond. Analysing the questions regarding Jesuit organisational procedures and relations with convert communities, non-Christians, the Portuguese state in India, and other clergy, this thesis aims to better illuminate the multiple ways individual Jesuits interpreted their purpose as well as pinpoint instances where elements of accommodation appeared through their interpretations.</p> |
| spellingShingle | Catholic Church--Missions--India South Asia--History Early modern, 1500-1700 Blankemeyer, BT "Multiplex est modus": elements of accommodation in the early Jesuit missions to India, 1545-1575 |
| title | "Multiplex est modus": elements of accommodation in the early Jesuit missions to India, 1545-1575 |
| title_full | "Multiplex est modus": elements of accommodation in the early Jesuit missions to India, 1545-1575 |
| title_fullStr | "Multiplex est modus": elements of accommodation in the early Jesuit missions to India, 1545-1575 |
| title_full_unstemmed | "Multiplex est modus": elements of accommodation in the early Jesuit missions to India, 1545-1575 |
| title_short | "Multiplex est modus": elements of accommodation in the early Jesuit missions to India, 1545-1575 |
| title_sort | multiplex est modus elements of accommodation in the early jesuit missions to india 1545 1575 |
| topic | Catholic Church--Missions--India South Asia--History Early modern, 1500-1700 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT blankemeyerbt multiplexestmoduselementsofaccommodationintheearlyjesuitmissionstoindia15451575 |