Publications
Murphy’s Law at Work: Climate Anomalies, Famine, and Mortality Crises on the Jesuit Missions among the Guaraní, 1733–40
A devastating mortality crisis among the Guaraní, with over ninety thousand deaths between 1733 and 1740, was driven by a confluence of climate anomalies, food shortages, and military mobilization. Poor agricultural yields due to weather disruptions led to widespread famine, while royal officials' conscription of mission militiamen exacerbated conditions. The crisis also facilitated the spread of contagion, further devastating the population. Jesuit narrative reports, or 'cartas anuas,' provide unique insights into these events, detailing food shortages and the Jesuits' responses, as well as the inner workings of the missions during this turbulent period.
The Effects of Resettlement and the Development of the Urban Plan on Mission Demographic Patterns
A strong relationship exists between the spatial organization of mission communities and demographic patterns, particularly in terms of disease spread and population recovery. The study analyzed historic diagrams of urban plans alongside fertility and mortality data from censuses and registers of baptisms and burials at Jesuit missions among the Guaraní (Argentina/Brazil) and California. While the Guaraní populations experienced periodic epidemics like smallpox, leading to significant but recoverable losses due to their compact living arrangements, the California mission populations suffered chronic ailments such as syphilis and parasites from poor sanitation, with no population recovery observed.
Fashioning the Soul in Colonial Río de la Plata: Religious Education in the Guaraní Missions, 1609–1768
A 1705 Guaraní translation of Juan Eusebio Nieremberg’s On the Difference between the Temporal and Eternal reveals advanced Jesuit spiritual formation techniques in the Río de la Plata missions, targeting both elite Indigenous readers and illiterate populations. The text, accompanied by engravings, demonstrates how Jesuits adapted Ignatian spiritual exercises to foster Guaraní-Christian subjectivity while integrating Indigenous concepts of the soul, language, dreams, and song into their educational framework. This rare linguistic and cultural adaptation provides evidence of sophisticated religious pedagogy in colonial missions, bridging Jesuit doctrine with Guaraní cosmological traditions.
Regional Conflict and Demographic Patterns on the Jesuit Missions among the Guaraní in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries
Conflict between Spain and Portugal in the Rio de la Plata region during the 17th and 18th centuries had significant demographic impacts on the Jesuit missions among the Guaraní, including the spread of contagious diseases due to military mobilization. The study reveals that these missions served as both a source of manpower for campaigns and supplies, while also experiencing population decline and health challenges as a result of regional conflicts. By analyzing historical records, the research documents the militarization of the missions and its consequences on mission populations, providing insights into the complex interplay between colonial conflict and demographic patterns in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Revisiting Cultivated Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Daily Life in the Guaraní Missions
A critical reassessment of Jesuit mission records and economic data reveals that the Guaraní missions, despite efforts to Europeanize their inhabitants through agriculture and animal husbandry, failed to fully implement the rigid work schedules associated with these practices. This challenges the traditional narrative that the Jesuits successfully transitioned the Guaranís from hunter-gatherer lifestyles to settled, domesticated economies.
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World Heritage Explorer > World Heritage Research > World Heritage Sites > Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis: San Ignacio Mini, Santa Ana, Nuestra Señora de Loreto and Santa Maria Mayor (Argentina), Ruins of Sao Miguel das Missoes (Brazil)