Mystics in Mexico: A study of Alumbrados in colonial New Spain
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Description
This is a study of heterodox ideas and behaviors, and of the society in which they were engendered Alumbrado is the name given to certain heretical groups of mystics who first appeared in sixteenth century Spain. These people generally believed that mental prayer was superior to vocal prayer; that external religious forms and practices, ie. rosaries, scapulars, images, fasting etc., were of no avail; that in quietistic prayer the soul could be taken over by God; and that in such a state one could become perfect and incapable of sin. Certain alumbrados, convinced that God acted within them, were notorious among their contemporaries for sins of the flesh. Carnal relationships were said to be the innocent sharing of divine love The geographical focus of this study will be New Spain, an area roughly coterminus with contemporary Mexico. Though attention will be given to old world origins, the focus of this study will be on Alumbrados in a colonial setting. The study is intended as a presentation and an explanation of Alumbrado beliefs and of their transformation over time. It will explore the influence of class, ethnicity, age, gender and occupation in the formation of these heterodox groups. It will look at the influence of key individuals, such as Gregorio Lopez, who was seen as a model for Alumbrado belief and praxis in New Spain Within the context of ecclesiastical history, this study will clarify the roles of religious and secular clergy, nuns, beatas and lay persons in the Alumbrado movement. It will also help to clarify real and perceived distinctions between these heterodox groups, Jews and Protestants. The place of the Alumbrados in the larger history of spirituality, mysticism, heresy, and esoteric societies will be duly noted. By viewing the relatively frequent violations of sexual norms by Alumbrados, this study will present a portrait of prevalent, mores in the colony, Finally, attention will be given to the political implications inherent in the Alumbrados' rejection of orthodoxy This study will, albeit indirectly, supplement and amplify the work already done in the field of Inquisition Studies and in the comparative studies of Humanist and Counter Reformation ideologies