The Life of Las Casas

Paper Summary:

The paper examines "Bartolome de las Casas: Great Prophet of the Americas" that describes the story of Bartolome de las Casas, an advocate for Native-Americans and reform in 16th century Spain. The paper looks at how the author portrays a man that stood by his convictions and fought for the rights of others for most of his life. The paper recommends this fascinating book to those interested in early Spanish history, the Catholic Church, and the history of exploration and discovery. The paper posits that though the author may be a little too close to his subject for real objectivity, he definitely paints a compelling portrait of this early humanitarian.

From the Paper:

"The author's purpose in writing this book is simple, he wanted to share the story of Bartolome de las Casas, an advocate for Native Americans and reform in 16th century Spain. He writes his thesis early in the book: "This work examines the historical setting and specific events leading up to the spiritual awakening that transformed Las Casas's life, and interprets this experience in light of his future message" (Vickery, 2006, p. 2). The author wants to illustrate why Las Casas is important, especially to those who might not be familiar with his work, and he wants to show how he worked for justice and against oppression of the Amerindians, as the author calls them. He views Las Casas as a prophet in the form of those prophets in the Old Testament, and uses this book about his life to make these points clear."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Vickery, P.S. Bartolome de las Casas: Great prophet of the Americas. New York: Paulist Press, 2006.

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