The Evangelization of Native Indians and the Question of the Other

Abstract

Based on the historical background of the 16th century Spanish colonization of America, the author analyses the problem of the Other, that is of the native Indian peoples. Keeping in mind the historical circumstances and heterogeneous cultural factors which shaped the Europeans' image of the New World, of its political structure and the manner in which evangelization was carried out, the article will deal with the activities of certain contemporaries among the Spanish conquistadors, and also of the missionaries, with special reference to Bartolomé de Las Casas. Particular attention will be given to the question of the relationship between members of different geographical milieus and Weltanschauung, that is, of one's own identity in relation to the identity of the Other. With partial reference to Todorov's interpretation of this problem, the essay will point out the broader temporal and spacial framework of the issue as well as possible avenues for future research.