SU S1 2024 - All God’s Creatures: The Catholic Church and the “Doctrine of Discovery”

All God’s Creatures: The Catholic Church and the “Doctrine of Discovery”

SPT523.01/SPT423.31

Spring Hill College (June 3-6) 5:30pm-8:30pm

Lucey Admin Complex (LAC Room# 291)

Kathleen Orange, Ph.D.

Easy Listening - No Credit

Course Description: The issue of race has marked American history from the beginning, not only with respect to Black people, but also Native Americans. European colonizers referred to people of color as "savages" people without civilization or the Christian religion. Many justified this view of indigenous people by the “Doctrine of Discovery” promulgated in several Papal Bulls of the 15^th and 16^th centuries and repudiated by Pope Francis in March, 2023. This ideology has shaped our whole sense of what America means and what it means to be American, but it is profoundly unChristian. We will look at resources for this class that help us grasp the challenge of creating a world in which others and their culture are validated as creations of God and His Spirit.

Kathleen Orange is professor emerita of political science at Spring Hill, and founder emerita of the Foley Community Service Center at the college. Her research centers on political theology.