Sacred Dialogues: Christianity and Native Religions in the Colonial Americas 1492-1700

A Spanish conquistador who posed as a sorcerer and cured native Americans as he trekked across an unknown wilderness; a French Jesuit who conjured rain clouds in order to impress his indigenous flock with the potency of Christian magic; a Puritan minister who healed a native chief in order to win him for God; a Mexican noble who was burned at the stake for resisting the gentle Franciscan friars; an Andean chief who was haunted by nightmares in which his native gods did battle with the Christian Father; a Huron magician who vied with French missionaries over spirits of the night in a shaking tent ceremony. These are a few of the individuals whose struggles are brought to life in the pages of this book. Their experiences, among others, reveal what happened when Christianity came into contact with Native American religions in three distinct regions of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century colonial America: Spanish, French and British.

The work is the second edition of Griffiths’ survey of the way that Christianity was brought to and understood in relation to indigenous traditions across the Americas, during the period 1492–1700. It is quite comprehensive in scope as well as extremely detailed and thorough. The text covers Spanish America and French America, as well as British America during these periods, weaving themes and issues back and forth. The primary difference from the first edition to this, apart from using updated sources, is the fact that rather than dealing with each region in turn, all are dealt with together thematically, though each region is dealt with separately, often in particular chapters, before overviews and comparisons are made.

The book is divided into two parts and thirty chapters. Some of these chapters deal with particular regions or indigenous groups, while others are more thematic. As such, one can read chapters under such terms as “Missionaries: The Andes” or “British Missionaries in Northeast North America,” as well as “Key Concept: Inculturation,” “Key Concept: The Devil,” or “Inculturation and Indigenization: Christ and the Cross.” Obviously, with thirty chapters to choose from these only give a flavour of some issues dealt with. The book is both a historical work, indeed, it is primarily a historical work, and an analytic work. Despite what its name may suggest to some, the interest is neither theological nor seeking to define what a “sacred dialogue” may be, but rather making assessments of where and how both Christians and indigenous peoples reacted and responded to the other. As such, in terms of analysis there is critical reflection on terms such as “inculturation” and “syncretism,” looking at how things which may take these labels were understood both by Europeans and indigenous groups. Indeed, this is a particular focus of this text which takes issue with the way that many previous scholarly narratives have often relied upon European informants and interpretations. It shows, quite clearly, how indigenous people were active agents in absorbing, reshaping, and creating a Christianity which suited their needs. Indeed, it is also argued that much of the surviving indigenous religion was also often shaped by Christian narratives and themes as they adapted to a changing cultural landscape.

The sheer size of the book will be some indication of quite how substantial the treatment of issues is, and it benefits from wide reading in literature from a range of languages for both primary and secondary sources. Its scope, analysis, and depth will surely make it a standard source and essential reference point for anyone seeking to understand the exchanges that occurred between Christianity and indigenous religious cultures across the Americas in this period. Indeed, it will also help anyone seeking to comprehend the contemporary context, given how much of that is embedded in the foundations laid in this period. However, more than this, it will be a useful resource for others seeking to research or understand the interaction of other religious and cultural traditions because of the careful and clear assessments and analysis of how interaction and interpretation was always at least a two-way process. The way that Christians set out to teach Christianity was quite different across periods and areas, depending upon the prevailing social and political climate. Indeed, their aims in seeking to claim that natives were “properly” Christianised were also often different. Likewise, how and why indigenous people and tribes adopted Christianity, or rejected it, and how and why they adopted parts of it, also varied. Even for those without a particular interest in the Americas, the analysis on this subject will prove insightful.

In summary, this book is an excellent and valuable resource for thinking about processes of cultural and religious interchange in both analytic and historical contexts. It is also likely to be for many years an unsurpassed survey of the Christian encounter with the peoples and cultures of the Americas.

Journal of Religious History, Volume 42 Issue 3 (September 2018)