Abstract

This article provides a synthetic view of the historical and theological components that explain how Catholicism came to understand the great religious systems in Asia as doctrinally inferior during the sixteenth century in response to the discovery/invasion of the “New Worlds” by Iberian Europeans.2 A strong emphasis on the universal salvific will of God led Catholic theologians to elaborate a doctrine that ultimately altered Catholicism’s understanding of non-Christian religions. 3 The article suggests that the predominant Catholic view of non-Christian religions has been shaped by a specific theological vision that was raised in sixteenth century Southern Europe. In order to sustain its points, the article offers some examples from the history of the Roman Catholic Church in India. Similar to other topics of world history, this one is also bound to contain an approximate degree of accuracy.

Recommended Citation

Beltramini, Enrico Ph.D. (2013) "Iberian Globalization and the Rise of Catholic Theology of Religions in the XVI Century," Journal of International and Global Studies: Vol. 4: No. 2, Article 5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.62608/2158-0669.1147
Available at: https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/jigs/vol4/iss2/5