Christianity and Empire: Unity and Diversity in New Worlds

Fernando Cervantes, J.E. & Lillian Byrne Tipton Distinguished Visiting Professor in Catholic Studies, Department of Religious Studies, UCSB, for Spring 2009 will present a paper exploring the interaction of Christianity among the populations of the New World. His presentation will seek to shed light on what J.H. Elliott once called “the remarkable survival of a worldwide empire for a period of three centuries without a standing army or police force.” Professor Cervantes will do so by reassessing the process of Christianization and the central role of religious culture in the early modern Hispanic world.
Five panelists will respond, relating his research to their own work in the fields of Ancient Borderlands and Latin American Studies: Gerardo Aldana (Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies, UCSB); Sarah Cline (Department of History, UCSB); Beth DePalma Digeser (Department of History, UCSB); Hal Drake (Department of History, UCSB); and Pamela Huckins (History of Art and Archaeology, NYU). The panel will be moderated by Christine Thomas (Department of Religious Studies, UCSB). A public Q & A and reception will follow.

For further information, please contact Ann Taves or Cathy Albanese.

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