Child Martyrs and Militant Evangelization in New Spain: Missionary Narratives, Nahua Perspectives

by Stephanie Schmidt

Examines the many iterations of a story of child martyrdom in colonial Mexico.

A cornerstone of the evangelization of early New Spain was the conversion of Nahua boys, especially the children of elites. They were to be emissaries between Nahua society and foreign missionaries, hastening the transmission of the gospel. Under the tutelage of Franciscan friars, the boys also learned to act with militant zeal. They sermonized and smashed...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1477330542
• ISBN13: 9781477330548
• Release Date: January 2025
• Publisher: University of Texas Press
• Length: 224 Pages