Identify the religious motivations that led to European exploration. What was the cause/effect each motivation contributed to European exploration?
Violent conversion rooted in the Reconquista and Crusades, coupled with charitable causes from Christian missions, were both important motivators during European exploration.
Muslim conquests into Iberia and hostile Christian missionaries were two of the most important motivators. These hostile missionaries would wage war against Indigenous populations in the New World.
The Crusades showcased how Christian missionaries peacefully spread their religion to foreign peoples. This would later influence Christian rulers during the age of exploration.
Missionaries were sent to convert Muslims through violent means during the Reconquista. The Reconquista was a successful experiment in using missionaries against a “hostile” religion.
The religious motivations that led to European exploration can be categorized as follows:
1. Spread of Christianity: One of the main motivations for European exploration was to spread Christianity to other parts of the world. The Crusades, in particular, highlighted the idea of spreading Christianity to foreign peoples. Throughout the Middle Ages, there was a belief that converting non-Christians was a religious duty and a means of expanding Christian influence and power. This desire to spread Christianity played a significant role in European explorers venturing into new territories.
2. Reconquista: The Reconquista, a series of military campaigns carried out by Christian armies to reconquer the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule, was another major religious motivation for exploration. During the Reconquista, Christian rulers sent missionaries to convert the Muslim population through violent means. This experience of using missionaries as a tool for religious and territorial expansion would later influence European rulers during the age of exploration.
3. Hostile Christian Missionaries: Hostile Christian missionaries, who aimed to forcefully convert indigenous populations, were also a significant motivator for exploration. These missionaries saw the New World as an opportunity to expand Christianity and sought to eradicate indigenous religions and cultures. Their violent conversion methods often led to conflicts and wars with the indigenous populations.
4. Charitable Causes: Alongside the violent conversion motivations, there were also charitable causes related to Christian missions. Many explorers and missionaries believed their mission was to bring salvation and spread Christian values to "heathen" peoples. They saw themselves as benevolent figures bringing civilization, education, and salvation to those they encountered. This charitable motivation sometimes led to the establishment of educational institutions and the provision of medical and social services in the areas explored.
5. Religious Competition: Europe was not united under one Christian denomination during the exploration period. There were different Christian sects and divisions, and religious competition played a part in motivating explorers to claim new territories for their particular denomination or to convert already established Christian communities to their own sect.
- Cause/Effect of each motivation:
The motivations mentioned above had various causes and effects on European exploration. The desire to spread Christianity and convert non-Christians played a significant role in expanding the geographical knowledge and territorial claims of European nations. It also led to conflicts with indigenous populations and the establishment of missionary institutions in the newly discovered territories.
The Reconquista and the use of violent missionaries influenced the mindset of European rulers, encouraging them to see missionaries as a tool for religious and territorial expansion. This mindset influenced the approach to exploration, colonization, and the treatment of indigenous populations.
The actions of hostile Christian missionaries fuelled conflicts and wars with indigenous populations in the New World. Their violent conversion methods often led to the destruction of indigenous cultures and religions.
The charitable causes associated with Christian missions resulted in the establishment of educational institutions and the provision of medical and social services in the newly explored territories. These efforts aimed to bring about the "civilization" of indigenous peoples according to European standards.
Lastly, religious competition among different Christian sects and denominations contributed to the exploration and colonization efforts as each denomination sought to establish its influence and convert other Christians to their particular sect.