Religion
played an incredibly central role in the defining purpose of exploration. There
was an undeniable amount of crusading involved in the European exploration of
the time. In fact, both the Spanish and Portuguese put much effort in
establishing a worldwide Christian empire. For hundreds of years, Christopher
Columbus was viewed as a hero for his contributions and accomplishments in
bringing civilization and religion to the New World. Columbus’ contemporaries also viewed him in
the same light, describing how Columbus had “added to the assembly of
Christians by the remarkable feat of daring of the Genoese Christopher
Columbus[1].” In fact, Columbus also shared this same view of himself. He felt
as though he had been chosen by God to become the bearer of Christianity to the
Americas[2]. This can be clearly seen in his signature, “Xpo FERENS,” which
translates to, “Christ-bearing[3]”. It can be seen here, though the opinions of
both Christopher Columbus and his contemporaries, that a great deal of
importance and religious significance was felt in the arrival of their superior
religion to the heathens of the New World.
One could
also argue the importance of religion during the age of exploration came from papal
power. Columbus’ journey fell in the middle of a land dispute between the
Spanish and Portuguese Crowns. It could be said the Spanish Crown hoped to gain
favor from the Papacy by the expansion of the Catholic faith through the
building of churches and the conversion of natives[4]. This argument can be
supported even further by examining papal bulls from the late 1400’s, showing
the effort the Papacy was going to in order to build both clergy and churches
in the Spanish colonies of the New World[5].
1. Agostino Giustiniani On Columbus the Evangelist, 1516, in Christopher Columbus and the Enterprise of the Indies: A Brief History with Documents, Document 9, Geoffrey Symcox and Blair Sullivan. (Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005), 58.
2. Bartolome de la Casas on Columbus as an Instrument of God's Will, 1527-1563, in Christopher Columbus and the Enterprise of the Indies: A Brief History with Documents, Document 7, Geoffrey Symcox and Blair Sullivan. (Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005), 57.
3. Christopher Columbus in a Letter to Nicolo Oderigo, March 21, 1502 in Christopher Columbus and the Enterprise of the Indies: A Brief History with Documents, Document 6, Geoffrey Symcox and Blair Sullivan. (Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005), 56.
4. Alexander VI Papal Bull "Piis Fidelium", Rome, June 25, 1493, in Christopher Columbus and the Enterprise of the Indies: A Brief History with Documents, Document 24, Geoffrey Symcox and Blair Sullivan. (Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005), 145.
5. Alexander VI Papal Bull "Eximie Devotionis", Rome, November 16, 1501, in Christopher Columbus and the Enterprise of the Indies: A Brief History with Documents, Document 27, Geoffrey Symcox and Blair Sullivan. (Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005), 153-154.
