“A questão do outro” na América portuguesa: experiências compartilhadas e mediações culturais no contexto de catequese na Capitania de Pernambuco (1549-1592)

Abstract

This work analyzes the catechetical strategies used by the Jesuits in the conversion of indigenous people in the Captaincy of Pernambuco between 1549 and 1592, seeking to understand catechetical strategies in the colonial context. Catechesis, the central theme of the research, involves conflicts and adaptations, highlighting the complexity of the relationships between indigenous people, missionaries, and colonists, all endowed with their own interests and forms of agency. In the first chapter, the research begins with a theoretical and historiographical discussion that problematizes traditional interpretations of catechesis and settlements, proposing to understand them beyond dichotomous readings. In this sense, concepts such as missionary mediation and intermediaries are mobilized, in addition to dialogue with micro-history, allowing the analysis of settlements as spaces of negotiation, conflict, and adaptation. In the following chapter, the work examines the activities of the Society of Jesus in Portuguese America, highlighting the role of epistolary practice, the missionary projects formulated within the context of the General Government, and the debates held between figures such as Manuel da Nóbrega and Quirício Caxa. The third chapter of the research is dedicated to the establishment and expansion of Jesuit settlements in the State of Brazil, with special attention to the Captaincy of Pernambuco. Through the use of historical cartography, the work analyzes the formation and distribution of these spaces throughout the second half of the 16th century, highlighting their capillarity and regional specificities. In this context, the different indigenous groups, the consolidation of the Jesuit presence, and the relationships between mission, economy, and social organization are discussed. In the last chapter, the analysis focuses on the epistolary narrative as a privileged source for understanding the functioning of the mission. Based on Jesuit letters, the main catechetical strategies can be identified, such as initial persuasion, the incorporation of indigenous cultural elements, and, later, the adoption of practices based on discipline and the control of consciences. These sources reveal not only the missionary methods but also the limits of conversion and the tensions inherent in the catechetical process.