The Bible in Latin America and the Caribbean before Vatican Council II: Algunos ejes transversales

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Abstract

The historical reception of the Bible in Latin America and the Caribbean has a tradition. Whether the Bible was a mechanism of liberation or domination depended on the hermeneutical interests of its interpreters, just as it happens nowadays. Outside the continent, is better known the political reading of the Bible between the 60’s and 80’s of the 20th Century. Nevertheless, the previous secular reality reaches a continuous and consistent trajectory. From the beginning of the (dis)encounter of these two cultures, of the indigenous people and the conquerors (1492), until the preludes of the Second Vatican Council (1962), the Bible played an essential role in the evangelization of the continent. According to several studies, this was a huge movement of oppression and extermination of indigenous people. For some other investigations there were evident abuses and slavery systems. Yet there were also insights and contributions such as the path of inculturation, possibilities for the development of Latin America and the Caribbean, thanks to contact with Europe. In addition, if Christianity is lived in the region today, it is thanks to the reception of the faith by the first population. In spite of such evidence, there still are intends to portray the evangelization process as a generous and peaceful spiritual mission, in which the indigenous people assumed, without major difficulties, the Christian faith. The review of this journey reveals, in the midst of vicissitudes, discussions, injustices, conversions and new bets, a biblical era with notable formative experiences. At first, the gestures and, then the catechisms and sermons, the passage through the theater and the rudiments of school proposals. The efforts of biblical interpreters, translators and pastoralists; that paved the way for the Bible as a key to reading this reality, until reaching academic and popular publications. Social projects focused on evangelization, literacy and the promotion of communities; as mature results of the 20th Century, at the beginning of Council Vatican II.

Translated title of the contributionLa Biblia en América Latina y el Caribe antes del Concilio Vaticano II Algunos ejes transversales
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-24
Number of pages24
JournalTheologica Xaveriana
Volume73
DOIs
StatePublished - 15 Jan 2023

Keywords

  • Bible
  • Evangelization
  • Hermeneutics
  • Tradition
  • Translation

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