While looking at the spread of Christianity in the New World throughout the time of Spanish conquests, two important sources stand out. One source by José de Acosta of Spain and the other by Felipe Huamán Poma de Ayala of Peru. While these sources are both similar and different at the same time, what is most important to regard while reading through their sources is the similarities; most importantly, the struggles the report that the Incan people face, how they regard the Incan people, and how their backgrounds are similar. In 1572, the Jesuit missionary José de Acosta arrived in Peru to take the position of the head of theology at a Jesuit college based in Lima (Acosta, 1). While in Peru, he took the time to analyze his surroundings and
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Their theses are approximately the similar, referencing the necessity of the spread of Christianity with more concern for native rights in the Indies at the time. Both sources also state similar accounts that most of the natives are born morally good people but with the corruption that they are facing from many Spanish missionaries, they will soon be too sinful to serve the Lord. This is important due to how different both the sources are personally. While both Acosta and Poma are Christian, Acosta is a Spanish missionary; sent to spread Christianity and Poma is the son of an Incan chief. Both sources want the Indians to be treated with more respect and dignity, but still do not see it as wrong to deceive the people into believing in Christianity. Both authors also claim that they do not believe that the Incan people are barbarians or brutes, undeserving of respect but then go on to state how little they think of these people in quotes such as, “…they ought to guide them away from such great ignorance with good and simple arguments, for it is truly worth noting how submissive they are to those who instruct them in the true way of life,” (Acosta 6) and, “It is usually the fate of these ordinary taxpaying Indians to remain in their humble category, whatever their advantages of understanding and experience, or however much money they may earn. They can hardly be entrusted with responsible rank or honorific duties,” (Poma 6). Perhaps the biggest similarity between Acosta and Poma is rank. They are both of a higher rank that the normal Incan citizen, which could lead for a less than accurate depiction of how the people truly act and believe. Having a source of lower class, such as a peasant, may make for a better account of life in the Indies in the 1500s as they will be able to accurately portray how they are being treated as opposed to someone who is not in the same situation as the Incan people writing
Their theses are approximately the similar, referencing the necessity of the spread of Christianity with more concern for native rights in the Indies at the time. Both sources also state similar accounts that most of the natives are born morally good people but with the corruption that they are facing from many Spanish missionaries, they will soon be too sinful to serve the Lord. This is important due to how different both the sources are personally. While both Acosta and Poma are Christian, Acosta is a Spanish missionary; sent to spread Christianity and Poma is the son of an Incan chief. Both sources want the Indians to be treated with more respect and dignity, but still do not see it as wrong to deceive the people into believing in Christianity. Both authors also claim that they do not believe that the Incan people are barbarians or brutes, undeserving of respect but then go on to state how little they think of these people in quotes such as, “…they ought to guide them away from such great ignorance with good and simple arguments, for it is truly worth noting how submissive they are to those who instruct them in the true way of life,” (Acosta 6) and, “It is usually the fate of these ordinary taxpaying Indians to remain in their humble category, whatever their advantages of understanding and experience, or however much money they may earn. They can hardly be entrusted with responsible rank or honorific duties,” (Poma 6). Perhaps the biggest similarity between Acosta and Poma is rank. They are both of a higher rank that the normal Incan citizen, which could lead for a less than accurate depiction of how the people truly act and believe. Having a source of lower class, such as a peasant, may make for a better account of life in the Indies in the 1500s as they will be able to accurately portray how they are being treated as opposed to someone who is not in the same situation as the Incan people writing