Host Desecration, Conversos, and "philosemitism": Father António Vieira's Sermons at Santa Engrácia

Claude B. Stuczynski

doi:10.1353/jqr.2022.0003

Host Desecration, Conversos, and "philosemitism": Father António Vieira's Sermons at Santa Engrácia

Claude B. Stuczynski

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

This article analyzes three sermons given by António Vieira in the church of Santa Engrácia (Lisbon) during the commemoration ceremonies for a host desecration allegedly perpetuated by a Converso in 1630. How could an ardent advocate of the New Christians such as Vieira, who is perceived as the embodiment of early modern Iberian philosemitism, agree to deliver homilies in such a notorious anti-Jewish and anti-Converso hub? Although these sermons were part of a homiletical tradition developed in Santa Engrácia around the profanation of the Eucharist, I will argue that they provide a novel means to understand Vieira’s pro-Converso and pro-Jewish approach, usually understood through his prophetic and mercantilist writings.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	89-118
Number of pages	30
Journal	The Jewish Quarterly Review
Volume	112
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1353/jqr.2022.0003
State	Published - Dec 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This article is part of the ISF individual research grant project No. 1256/20.

Funding

This article is part of the ISF individual research grant project No. 1256/20.

Funders	Funder number
Israel Science Foundation	1256/20

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10.1353/jqr.2022.0003

Cite this

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title = "Host Desecration, Conversos, and {"}philosemitism{"}: Father Ant{\'o}nio Vieira's Sermons at Santa Engr{\'a}cia",

abstract = "This article analyzes three sermons given by Ant{\'o}nio Vieira in the church of Santa Engr{\'a}cia (Lisbon) during the commemoration ceremonies for a host desecration allegedly perpetuated by a Converso in 1630. How could an ardent advocate of the New Christians such as Vieira, who is perceived as the embodiment of early modern Iberian philosemitism, agree to deliver homilies in such a notorious anti-Jewish and anti-Converso hub? Although these sermons were part of a homiletical tradition developed in Santa Engr{\'a}cia around the profanation of the Eucharist, I will argue that they provide a novel means to understand Vieira{\textquoteright}s pro-Converso and pro-Jewish approach, usually understood through his prophetic and mercantilist writings.",

author = "Stuczynski, \{Claude B.\}",

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year = "2022",

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doi = "10.1353/jqr.2022.0003",

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Host Desecration, Conversos, and "philosemitism": Father António Vieira's Sermons at Santa Engrácia

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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