Bartolomé de Las Casas: Transatlantic Reformer?

Andrew Wilson Announcement
Location
Rhode Island, United States
Subject Fields
Atlantic History / Studies, Colonial and Post-Colonial History / Studies, Early Modern History and Period Studies, Latin American and Caribbean History / Studies, Religious Studies and Theology

In Charles Taylor’s provocative study, A Secular Age, he identifies Reform as a broad conviction “felt with increasing power during the Middle Ages and early modern period, that not just an élite, but as far as possible all the faithful live up to the demands of the Gospel” (104). Drawing on this expansive concept, the theme of the Third International Conference on Bartolomé de las Casas (June 22–June 24, 2022) will center on the question of Las Casas’s role as a transatlantic reformer. Papers are welcome that put Las Casas in conversation with broader trends in sixteenth-century reformations, Christian humanism and secularization as well as currents in theology, literature, philosophy, anthropology, and law. Organizers also welcome contributions that draw on approaches that address Las Casas’s mark on social discipline and print culture.

Importantly, this Lascasian conference coincides with the 500th anniversary of Las Casas’s 1522 entrance into a self-consciously reforming Dominican Order, itself an expression of trends in the renewal of religious life. Participants will benefit from and contribute to the rich combination of unique research interests afforded by this interdisciplinary invitation to consider Las Casas as a reformer in his own right. Proposals (in English, French, Portuguese, or Spanish) of 250 to 500 words in length and a short bio of 250 words are due by February 1st, 2022: sent to the attention of the organizers at LasCasasConference2022@gmail.com. Accepted papers will be eligible for inclusion in a projected third double-blind peer-reviewed collection. For up to date information, visit Lascasian Studies at Providence College.

The Third International Conference on Bartolomé de las Casas will also provide the occasion for the founding of the Society for Lascasian Studies and the Bulletin for Lascasian Studies. The conference will take place on the campus of Providence College in the picturesque city of Providence, Rhode Island. A limited number of opportunities for remote online presentations may be provided.

David T. Orique, O.P., Ph.D.
Rady Roldán-Figueroa, Th.D.
Andrew L. Wilson, Ph.D.

Contact Information

Fr. David T. Orique, O.P., Ph.D. Associate Professor, Director of Latin American and Latina/o Studies (LALS), Department of History, Providence College, 549 River Avenue, Providence, RI 02918

Rady Roldán-Figueroa, Th.D., Director of the Center for Latin American Studies, The Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University, 745 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA, 02215

Andrew Wilson, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Church History, Japan Lutheran College and Seminary, 3-10-20 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, 181-0015, Japan

Contact Email
LasCasasConference2022@gmail.com