The Writings of Francisco Rodrigues SJ (c. 1515-1573): Mission, theology, politics, and religious normativities in Iberian Asia

Between 1556 and 1573, the Portuguese Jesuit Francisco Rodrigues (c. 1515-1573) served as provincial, rector, and professor of the Society of Jesus in Goa, India. He actively participated in political, interreligious, and ecclesiastical disputes, often being perceived as a key player in the political and social context of the early modern Portuguese Empire in Asia. From the late 1560s until his death, he authored a series of theological and canonical writings on topics such as matrimony, restitution, contracts, and slavery, becoming one of the most representative authors of what later became a local tradition of casuistry that influenced the decision-making processes of political and religious actors in India, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, and the Philippines until the late seventeenth century. This two-day workshop will discuss drafts for an upcoming volume on Rodrigues and his world, focusing on the lasting effects of his life and works. More on the upcoming volume can be found here.