Waging war against the Devil in overseas worlds: 18th century mission frontiers in El Chaco and Paraná

Abstract

The analysis of the missionary experience in the 18^th century Chaco and Paraná regions allows this reconstruction of the complexities of the Catholic project. Our study considers the limitations and adversities faced by the missionary enterprise in the end of the Spanish colonial period; this perspective contributes to the definition of the missionary frontier in plural terms that emerged in multiple contexts, ranging from urban areas to the upper Paraná. By considering this point, this article proves that the missionary frontier comprehended both exclusionary and limitative borders, and social, ethnical and cultural porosity. Catholic mission, in spite of the apostolic religious acculturation Project that enclosed, really was a changing and historically transformed social environment adapted to every social and cultural context, that exemplify cultural hybridization in frontier environments and contexts.