Christianization of the Philippines

The Christianization of the Philippines was facilitated by fundamental congruencies between Filipino traditional religion and Catholicism, allowing Christianity to take root, develop, and dominate without significant tension. This study highlights how the Church embedded itself in indigenous culture, particularly through Baroque church architecture and religious art, as seen in the Church of Saint James the Great at Paete, Laguna, and San Pedro de Alcantara Church at Pakil, Laguna. It also examines H. Richard Niehbur’s typology of gospel-culture relationships to explain this process. The research approach combines historical analysis with cultural and architectural studies to correlate the role of Baroque churches in the Christianization of the Filipino people.

del Castillo, F. A. (2015). Christianization of the Philippines. Mission Studies, 32(1), 47–65. https://doi.org/10.1163/15733831-12341379