French Literature Reviews - 2026

Andrea Daher, Présence de la voix dans les scènes mystiques coloniales. Brésil, XVIe et XVIIe siècles
History, Politics and Society

Andrea Daher

Présence de la voix dans les scènes mystiques coloniales. Brésil, XVIe et XVIIe siècles

Paris, Classiques Garnier, coll. Géographies du monde, n° 40, 2025

This book explores the literate models that shaped Jesuit and Capuchin writings in colonial Brazil. It highlights the oral dimension and the power of exchanges between missionaries and indigenous peoples, revealing a "mystic scene" where the drama of the conversion of souls unfolds.

Table of Contents

Also available in hardcover - EAN 9782406180463 - priced at 79 euros

Andrea Daher examines how European literate traditions shaped missionary accounts during the early colonial period in South America. Focusing on the interactions between Catholic religious orders and native populations, the study investigates the complex dynamics of communication, translation, and persuasion. The analysis brings to light the underlying rhetorical strategies employed by chroniclers to document spiritual encounters, shedding light on the broader European engagement with New World cultures and the ways religious authority sought to establish itself through written and spoken media.

This scholarly contribution will interest researchers and students of colonial history, Latin American literature, and religious studies, particularly those exploring the intersections of evangelization, indigenous oral traditions, and early modern textuality. By foregrounding the performative nature of missionary encounters, the volume provides valuable perspectives for understanding the cultural and ideological mechanisms of the colonial enterprise, making it a relevant resource for scholars examining the history of ideas and cross-cultural contact in the early modern Atlantic world.