Ninth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

Made up of creole clerics, lawyers, writers, military figures, and one-time seminarians, it is little surprise that the insurgent movement for Spanish American independence from Spanish domination in the early 19th Century appealed to friends and enemies alike through a discourse heavily mediated by religious language, theological concepts, and spiritual practices oriented towards forming the subjects adequate for their respective political projects: the Americano, and later the Mexicano. Following from the concept of political spirituality elaborated in Michel Foucault’s later works, this paper argues that Insurgent and Royalist figures in New Spain regarded spirituality as a central political concern. For insurgents such as Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and thinkers of Mexican Independence such as Fray Servando Teresa de Mier, these discourses were pivotal for articulating a national project, comprehending their particular political and militant practices, and forming a practical framework for connecting particular concerns and practices with their broader political ambitions. Spirit and self were among the fields where an intense contest unfolded for the political and historical fortunes of what was to become of a nation and its people, namely the United Mexican States, or México, as it is commonly known.