The Jose de Acosta on the Salvation of the Indians article really describes the reality of what Spanish evangelism was like and how it was responded to in the Andean region. Acosta was a Spaniard and a member of the Jesuit clergy, known for his many teachings and writings in the late 1500s. His extensive travel and missionary work in the Andean region- particularly Peru- and Mexico really prepared him to be a great leader in terms of religious thought and evangelical strategy in the new world.
Although at first his thoughts seem quite pessimistic and almost defeated, he sends a clear message of hope. It seems very understandable that in an attempt to convert natives from an entirely different culture and world view who even speak another language primarily, one would run into many problems. As we discussed in class, they obviously could not just use literary or written resources. This was not a huge problem for the Spanish, though, who were used to evangelizing to pagan Europeans who were sometimes even illiterate. Techniques of using pictures, drawings, and building elaborate churches and cathedrals to depict Christianity were utilized. It was probably easy to convey the centrality of God, the necessity of Jesus, and the ever present help of the Holy Spirit. It would have been easy to portray the usefulness of Mary and her importance in the story. It would have even been easy to show the day of judgment, death, and destruction and how one can be saved from it. The most difficult part, and the part Acosta actually describes as such, is the ability to make the natives actually believe it or actually care.
It would have been easy for the natives to just go along with the priests and missionaries who were telling them what to do and how to behave. The natives obviously did just appease them in many ways, which is what Acosta had such a problem with. It would certainly bring up the question- what is the point? The indigenous people might have seen the three parts of the trinity and Mary as different gods and the saints as their own idea of ancestors that one could implore. According to Acosta, and what does make some real sense, is that in order to be effective there needed to be a greater number of priests and missionaries to keep the new converts accountable and growing in their faith. Acosta’s hope even in the midst of this seemingly hopeless scenario came from the fact that he believed God would not forsake the Andean region or the people there. He believed that all would be revealed in its due time. This was, in my opinion, probably a very inspiring and encouraging writing for missionaries at this time because I think it gives great reason to continue in an effort that at times might have felt completely futile.
