Inventing new worlds : a Franciscan reflection
This thesis explores how the idea of the 'New World' and many aspects of its identity were constructed in the late Middle Ages, and suggests that this involved the expansion of a number of colonial processes which were developed in Europe and the Near Atlantic. Chapter One explores the political dimension of systems and representations of knowledge and Chapter Two considers the darker side of the Western legal tradition. Chapter Three uses the history of the Franciscans, a religious Order with a unique doctrine of radical poverty, to suggest hidden dimensions of 'coloniality'. In Chapter Four, the Franciscans are used to reflect upon the meaning and function of property and rights, two discourses that have implications for colonialism and the European interpretation of the 'New World'. Chapter Five develops the history of the Franciscans in the Atlantic world 1300-1550 to challenge meta-narratives which are dominated by the politicised coordinate of 1492. 1492 has been symbolic of the start of the 'New World', a world of Modernity, capitalism, and colonialism. The significance of 1492 is unravelled by the Franciscan perspective, which transcends the colonised/coloniser binary and reveals the heterogeneity
McClure, Julia Teresa
Inventing new worlds : a Franciscan reflection. This thesis explores how the idea of the 'New World' and many aspects of its identity were constructed in the late Middle Ages, and suggests that this involved the expansion of a number of colonial processes which were developed in Europe and the Near Atlantic. Chapter One explores the political dimension of systems and representations of knowledge and Chapter Two considers the darker side of the Western legal tradition. Chapter Three uses the history of the Franciscans, a religious Order with a unique doctrine of radical poverty, to suggest hidden dimensions of 'coloniality'. In Chapter Four, the Franciscans are used to reflect upon the meaning and function of property and rights, two discourses that have implications for colonialism and the European interpretation of the 'New World'. Chapter Five develops the history of the Franciscans in the Atlantic world 1300-1550 to challenge meta-narratives which are dominated by the politicised coordinate of 1492. 1492 has been symbolic of the start of the 'New World', a world of Modernity, capitalism, and colonialism. The significance of 1492 is unravelled by the Franciscan perspective, which transcends the colonised/coloniser binary and reveals the heterogeneity
new_world franciscan reflection explores idea new_world many_aspect identity_construct suggest involved expansion number colonial process develop europe near atlantic explore political_dimension system representation knowledge considers side western legal tradition use history franciscans religious_order unique doctrine radical poverty suggest hidden dimension franciscans use reflect_upon mean function property_right discourse implication colonialism european interpretation new_world develops history franciscans atlantic world challenge meta narratives dominate coordinate symbolic start new_world world modernity capitalism colonialism significance franciscan perspective transcend coloniser binary reveals heterogeneity