"Provincializing Europe": the circulation of the sacred and reciprocity in the making of Roman Catholicism as a world religion

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Abstract

This chapter tells the story of the making of Roman Catholicism as a world religion in terms that seek to do justice to both the creative agency of the receivers - the missionised - as well as that of the missionaries. It borrow its main title from the work of the Indian scholar, Dipesch Chakravarty who polemicised against the marginalisation of non European history. I argue that one must grapple with the twin themes of reciprocity of influence/agency and the portability of relics if one is to understand how Roman Catholicism became the first world religion. It also contends that in the effort to convert the indigenous peoples of the New World, the Old world came to know itself in new ways by seeing 'the I in Thou'. The chapter also goes on to consider the uniqueness of Christianity as a translated religion. It conscludes by using the case study of the global cults of St Ursula and her 11,000 virgins and of the catacomb saints to make the point that this enabled Roman Catholicism to become the first world religion with global reach, if not grasp.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationReformation und Reformationen / Reformation and Reformations Kontinuitäten, Identitäten, Narrative / Continuities, Identities and Narratives
EditorsKaspar von Greyerz, Anselm Schubert
Place of PublicationGutersloh
PublisherVerein fur Reformationsgeschichte
Pages177-206
Number of pages29
Volume221
Edition1st
ISBN (Electronic)ISBN 9783579085616
Publication statusPublished - 23 Nov 2022

Publication series

NameVerein fur Reformationsgeschichte
PublisherGutersloh verlag
Volume221

Bibliographical note

Edited by Kasper von Greyerz and Anselm Schubert

Keywords

  • world religion - sculpture - circulation of sacred - relics - agency - reciprocity

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