Early Background
Christopher Columbus is often credited as the man who accidentally discovered America, which is strictly true. But the Italian navigator and explorer, born in Genoa in 1451, was commissioned by King Ferdinand of Spain to make the voyage to quash the Muslim presence in the Western hemisphere and spread Christianity across the New Word. According to Columbus’ letters and diaries, his primary goal was to expand on Christianity, and convert both the existing native people and the new settlers, to the Catholic faith.
At the time of Columbus’ voyages, only the Spanish and Portuguese areas of the world were under Christian control. Columbus, and his journey, were to be the impetus that drove the spread and conversion of non-Christians into Catholics, and ultimately Latin and Protestant sects – in essence, a mission of religious colonialism.
Preparatory Steps
In preparation for his voyage, Columbus wrote to Pope Alexander VI for his blessing which the Pope gladly granted. Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain also granted their blessing and Columbus created the Book of Prophecies – a collection of verses and passages from the Bible – to document his journey and validate his mission from a religious and spiritual point of view.
Columbus also recruited a crew of experienced mariners, equipped in the latest navigational instruments – the only ones available at the time – studied maps, and even consulted astrologers, for advice on the best time and course to sail, to reach the Indies.
The Voyage West
In the autumn of 1492, Columbus set sail with a fleet of 3 ships; the Santa Maria, the Pinta and the Nina. After 10 weeks of sea travel, during which, he encountered much skepticism over the possibility of landfall in the West Indies, his crew eventually spotted the island of San Salvador in the Bahamas.
Upon landing on the island, Columbus was given a warm welcome by its native inhabitants, the Taino Indians. Although Columbus was optimistic to find gold, he was also pleased to note that ‘all the people… gave thanks to God’, and were already Christian.
Religious Education
Aside from converting the Native American population, Columbus wanted to prompt the creation of a new, advanced Christian society in the West Indies. As the colonial authority in Spanish America, the Catholic Church began the task of educating the Natives in the faith, and teaching them Spanish customs and practices.
Columbus initiated Christian mass services, adopted Spanish religious holidays, created Catholic schools and even set up a Latin school for grammar instruction, as well as appointing priests to oversee daily church activities.
Religious Consequences
Christianity eventually became the predominant religion among the Native American population, but sadly, it also brought with it illness and diseases, unfamiliar to their bodies, which decimated their population.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Church’s influence increased and, eventually, Protestantism spread in America, which further divided and changed the identity of the population, as more and more new settlers flocked to the New World.
Effect on Native Culture
Ultimately, Columbus’ voyage had a huge effect on the culture and religion of many native aboriginals in the New World. By bringing Christianity to the Americas, Columbus irrevocably altered their religious and cultural beliefs and practices.
Columbus’ ‘old-world’ religion heavily influenced Native American life and today, most native aboriginals practice Christianity in one form or another. So, even though it had major unintended consequences, Christopher Columbus’ voyage to the Americas and spread of Christianity did eventually have a lasting effect.*
Growth of Catholicism
The Catholic Church in America has steadily grown since the time of Columbus’ voyage and Christianity has become the dominant religion in the New World. The Vatican has created numerous missionary groups in the Americas, dedicating large resources and money to evangelization.
Both Latin and Protestant churches were planted in the Americas and provided a spiritual foundation for its inhabitants. These religions were based initially on Catholic doctrine, however increasingly incorporated more independent beliefs and practices.
Rise of Anti-Catholicism
Nevertheless, as Protestant and Indigenous religions started to spread they were met with resistance in many places due to their Catholic origins.
Throughout the region, anti-Catholic sentiment still persists, especially in Mexico, where many perceive Catholicism as being a symbol of suppressed indigenous culture and continuing colonialism.
Transformation of Indigenous Beliefs
Ultimately, largely due to Columbus’ voyage and the initial effort put forth by the Catholic Church and its missionaries, many of the indigenous beliefs and practices of the New World were changed, suppressed and eventually abandoned.
Natives were introduced to and persuaded to adopt, what was considered at the time, advanced religious understandings – most notably, Christianity.
Long Term Consequences
As a result, the native population was introduced to culturally foreign values and beliefs that rapidly spread, to the detriment of their own, traditional lifestyle.
The legacy of Columbus’ mission to spread Christianity still exists today and many of the original aboriginal beliefs, customs and practices have now vanished, replaced by the religion and culture of much of the western world.
Perspectives from Experts
Experts in the field have identified many consequences of the introduction of Christianity to the New World. Anthropologist, Edwin Wilmsen argued that ‘conversion of Native Americans to Christianity should not always be considered to be negative’, since it often provided the means for individuals to liberate themselves in certain situations.
Historian Richard White, instead, said that Christianity ‘rearranged many people’s visions of the cosmos’ and through the introduction of specific beliefs it ‘promoted the colonization process’ – believing that they facilitated the domination of natives by European colonizers.
Analysing the Effects
In conclusion, while many believe that Columbus spread Christianity in an effort to colonize the region, looking at the effects and changes that it brought to the Americas, it may be a mixed bag; both positive and negative.
Many experts and scholars list the positive contributions of Columbus as introducing new-world religious thought and liberation, however, there is also evidence of cultural erosion, suppressed religious practices, and disease and exploitation perpetrated by the Spaniards.
Impact on Political and Economic Life
The effects of Christianity spread across the New World were far-reaching, especially political and economic development.
Professionals in the field generally agree that, through the introduction of Christianity, colonialism was further enabled, which resulted in an unequal balance of power between natives and the Europeans who arrived in the New World.
Unfortunately, in many cases, the introduction of Christianity eventually generated exploitative economic gains, as evidenced by enslaved labor and other forms of economic oppression.
Distortion of Cultural Identity
The cultural identity of many native peoples also suffered as a result of the spread of Christianity.
Native Americans were given new ways to dress, language, laws and even their relationships were drastically rearranged. Moreover, many customs and traditions were forgotten and replaced by Christian practices, some of which were against their religion of origin.
Spiritual Practice
For some Native Americans, the introduction of Christianity offered spiritual guidance and comfort.
With vast cultural differences, Native Americans found a sense of biblical comfort in the stories found in the bible. In special, ethnic religious practices such as ‘sweat lodges’ could be transformed into Christian-based practices to maintain their traditional beliefs in the New World.
Native Resistance
Despite the adoption of Christianity by many Native Americans, there were still many communities and tribes that actively resisted the efforts of missionaries to convert them to Christianity.
Native American resistance to Christianity was often a result of its geographic and cultural distance from the main sources of evangelical power in the New World.
Residents of these remote villages carried on their own spiritual practices, maintaining their original religion and traditions, often in the face of oppression from the incoming Europeans.
Continuation of Traditional Culture
As a result, some communities have been able to maintain their tradition in anything from food to clothing to religious ceremonials, even in the face of a dominating Christian culture.
These remote villages have also been able to preserve ancestral languages as well as sites of spiritual significance, often unknowingly to wider society.
Religious Overlap
It’s also important to recognise that many Native Americans have embraced the overlap between their traditional beliefs and Christianity.
Prior to the arrival of Europe in the New World, many beliefs and faiths were already blended between various indigenous communities and mixed with Christianity.
This merge has allowed Native Americans to observe a faith that’s now uniquely their own, but undeniably based on the spread of Christianity initiated by Columbus.
Conclusion
Whether or not Columbus spread Christianity intentionally, his journey and the subsequent introduction of religion to the New World has left a lasting and complex legacy – one that will persist for many generations to come. It is a combination of positive and negative effects, but one whose impact is undeniable.
