A Violent Evangelism

A Violent Evangelism: The Political and Religious Conquest of the Americas
by Luis N. Rivera
Westminster/John Knox Press (1992)

This book gives a history of the Spanish conquest of the Americas based around the common goals of God, gold, and glory. The first part of the book describes the military conquest of the Americas, which were often legitimized by religious reasoning and imagery. The second section addresses the issues of slavery and general loss of freedom of the natives. Thirdly, the book criticizes the conquest of the Americas from a theological perspective. The life of Bartoleme de las Casas is outlined throughout the narratives of the book, with his life serving as a prophetic thorn in the side of political and religious authorities of the sixteenth centuries. The perspectives of his many adversaries, such as Gines de Sepulveda, are also presented at length.

I felt that the author presented a balanced view of the life of las Casas. He consistently confronted powerful people for the sake of the poor and oppressed. He viewed the natives as human beings, and he lamented their poor treatment. Sepulveda, an Aristotelian humanist scholar, believed that “the Indians lacked humanitas… that quality of mind and spirit that makes a specific people competent to attain civilization.” (134) The author brings in many different perspectives on the violent evangelism that took place in the Americas. Often the perspectives, in light of history and our modern context, bring about the validity of las Casas’ arguments (even though his utopian view was often rejected by the intellectual, political and religious powers of his day).

Several themes from this book are applicable to my ministry context in Pittsburgh. Bartoleme de las Casas was an amazing activist who assumed a type of prophetic role in the midst of great political and religious persecution. I would like to model my life after him, in terms of standing up for what is right even despite the negative consequences. Rivera wrote that “Las Casas was fully imbued with the prophetic biblical and evangelical traditions favoring the poor and denouncing oppressive power.” (240) As I work in Homewood, will my life be known as one that favored the poor and denounced oppressive power? I need to be a student of history. In reading this book, I noticed many themes involving the powerful and powerless that parallel issues in the United States. We still have oppressed people living in America. Rivera said, “The oppressed poor are unprotected in the face of the violence of the powerful. Their vulnerability and precariousness are a threat to their very lives, not just to their liberty and happiness.” (175) Some of the African-American residents in Homewood have endured suffering due to generations of oppression from the mainstream culture in the United States. I will not be effective as an urban ministry leader in Homewood without seeking to understand the context of the oppressed poor. Also, I should pay attention to language, because seemingly minor distinctions in language can lead to great injustices. In the case of the Spanish conquest of the Americas, a cycle of slavery and oppression was perpetuated for centuries based on language technicalities found in legislation released by the Spanish crown and the Catholic Church. Language is not neutral. James 3:5 says “Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” In reference to the tongue, we have great power to do great harm or great good.