Missions Begin with Blood: Suffering and Salvation in the Borderlands of New Spain

This book explores how the concept of Indigenous revolts and missionary deaths became a central logic of frontier colonization in Spanish North America, arguing that martyrdom acted as a ceremony of possession that helped Jesuits understand violence, disease, and death as ways that God worked to advance Christendom. It correlates these tales of sacrifice to deep genealogies of redemptive death in Catholic discourse and explains how martyrological idioms worked to rationalize early modern colonialism.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 26 October 2021
Publisher: Fordham University Press

While the notion that successful missions required Indigenous revolts and missionary fatalities may seem paradoxical, this book provides a compelling illustration of how this concept became a fundamental tenet of frontier colonization in Spanish North America.

Missions Begin with Blood delves into the intricate dynamics that shaped the early interactions between European colonizers and Indigenous peoples in the Americas. It challenges the conventional belief that missions were solely driven by religious fervor and missionary zeal. Instead, the book argues that martyrdom played a crucial role in the Jesuit mission strategy.

According to Missions Begin with Blood, martyrdom served as a ceremonial act of possession that enabled Jesuits to comprehend violence, disease, and death as instruments of God's will in advancing Christendom. Whether they were petitioning their superiors for support, preparing to eradicate Native "idolatries," or defending their conversions from critics, Jesuits found strength in their persecution and triumph in their victimization.

The book explores how these narratives of sacrifice are interconnected with profound genealogies of redemptive death in Catholic discourse. It demonstrates how martyrological idioms were employed to rationalize and justify early modern colonialism. Missionaries, for instance, invoked an agricultural metaphor, likening the suffering endured by missionaries to the process of planting seeds that, with the application of sweat and blood, would eventually yield a bountiful harvest of Indigenous Christianity.

Through its meticulous analysis and engaging storytelling, Missions Begin with Blood offers a fresh perspective on the complex history of the Americas. It sheds light on the ways in which religious beliefs, cultural encounters, and political power dynamics intertwined to shape the course of colonialism. This book is a valuable contribution to the field of history, providing insights into the complex and often overlooked aspects of early modern colonialism.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780823294206