The study on the diffusion of Catholicism in the New World: focused on the relationship between the king and the pope

왕권과 교권의 대립을 통해 본 신대륙의 가톨릭 전파과정 연구

The 'discovery' or 'conquest' of the New World in 1492 was the starting point of world history that irrevocably changed the fate of the Latin American continent. The global stream known as 'Columbian Exchange', which was the widespread inter-continental contacts, inter-civilizational conflicts, or bilateral communication, has rendered multifarious effects throughout many historical periods up to the very contemporary time. The propagation of Catholicism initiated along with this 'discovery' transformed Latin America of nowadays in the region that has the biggest Catholic population in the world. The previous studies in Korea regarding Latin American Catholicism has focused on the spread of Catholicism in relation to the European colonization, rather than analyzing the concrete and detailed ways in which Catholicism exerted tremendous influences in the whole continent. They were less attentive to various historical contexts in which the diffusion of Catholicism differed greatly according to cultural landscapes and political specificities. Thus, this essay attempts to examine the diffusion of Catholicism from the perspective of confrontation between royal authorities and the power of church. The essay points out that the royal communities and institutional authorities which facilitated the intial process of Catholic evangelization maintained antagonistic relationship with ecclesial powers. By delving into the gradual transformation of church systems, it reveals that Catholicism in Latin America became a major field for conquerors in power to attain economic and political dominance. And unlike the initial submission and hospitality, the religious convert of the indigenous people attested to the violent inhumanity and opposition. Therefore, the essay aims to pave a clearer way to the understanding of complicated dynamics and conflicts between Catholicism in Latin America and the establishment of Spanish colonization.