Acosta, José de

Acosta, José de

▪ Spanish theologian
born 1539, Medina del Campo, Spain
died Feb. 15, 1600, Salamanca

      Jesuit theologian and missionary to the New World, chiefly known for his Historia natural y moral de las Indias, the earliest survey of the New World and its relation to the Old. His works, missionary and literary, mark the end of the period of the religious and scientific incorporation of the newly discovered lands into Western culture.

      Acosta joined the Jesuits in 1570, going as a missionary to Peru in 1571. Having been provincial of his order there (1576–81), he was appointed theological adviser to the Third Provincial Council of Lima (1582), later writing a catechism in local Indian languages, the first book printed in Peru. On returning to Spain in 1587, he wrote Historia natural y moral de las Indias (1590; Natural and Moral History of the Indies), which attempted to place his observations of the physical geography and natural history of Mexico and Peru (including the aboriginal religious and political institutions) in the context of contemporary Jesuit and scientific thought. Acosta's work is especially valuable as a firsthand account of western South America at this time, based on his 16 years' life and travel in the region.

      Acosta led the opposition to Claudio Aquaviva (Aquaviva, Claudio) (the general of the Jesuits), helping to call the fifth Jesuit congregation to redress alleged grievances. The reformers' proposals were rejected and Acosta was imprisoned (1592–93). After submitting in 1594 Acosta became superior of the Jesuits at Valladolid and rector of the Jesuit college at Salamanca (1598), where he remained until his death.

      Acosta's other significant study is the De procuranda indorum salute (1588), a systematic examination of the problems of missionary work among the newly discovered “pagans” of the New World.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Acosta, José de — • Founded a number of colleges, among them those of Arequipa, Potose, Chuquisaca, Panama, and La Paz Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Acosta, José de     José de Acosta    …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • ACOSTA, Jose De — (c. 1540 1600) Josei de Acosta, a Spanish Jesuit historian, wrote the earliest European study on Mexico and western South America, Historia natural y moral de las Indias (Natural and Moral History of the Indies, 1590). In De procuranda Indorum… …   Renaissance and Reformation 1500-1620: A Biographical Dictionary

  • Acosta, José de — ► (1539 1600) Cosmógrafo e historiador español. Autor de un catecismo en castellano, aimará y quechua (1583) y de una famosa Historia natural y moral de las Indias, en que se tratan las cosas más notables del cielo, y elementos, metales, plantas… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Jose de Acosta — José de Acosta Pour les articles homonymes, voir Acosta. José de Acosta José d Acosta, né vers 1539, mort le 15 février 1600, était un Jésuite espagnol du …   Wikipédia en Français

  • José De Acosta — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Acosta. José de Acosta José d Acosta, né vers 1539, mort le 15 février 1600, était un Jésuite espagnol du …   Wikipédia en Français

  • José de acosta — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Acosta. José de Acosta José d Acosta, né vers 1539, mort le 15 février 1600, était un Jésuite espagnol du …   Wikipédia en Français

  • José de Acosta — (September/October 1539 ndash; February 15 1600), was a Spanish 16th century Jesuit missionary and naturalist in Latin America.LifeBorn at Medina del Campo in Spain, he became a novice in the Society of Jesus at the age of thirteen at the place… …   Wikipedia

  • Jose de Acosta —     José de Acosta     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► José de Acosta     The son of well to do and respected parents, born at Medina del Campo in Spain, 1540; died at Salamanca, 15 February, 1600. He became a novice in the Society of Jesus at the age… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Jose de Acosta — José de Acosta (auch José d Acosta, * September/Oktober 1539 (oder 1540) in Medina del Campo; † 15. Februar 1599 in Salamanca) war ein spanischer Jesuit, Missionar und Gelehrter. Er entwickelte die Theorie, dass die amerikanische Urbevölkerung… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • José Vicente Garcia Acosta — José Vicente García Acosta (* 4. August 1972 in Tafalla) ist ein spanischer Radrennfahrer. Karriere García Acosta begann seine Profikarriere 1995 bei dem spanischen Radsport Team Banesto. Das UCI ProTour Team nennt sich mittlerweile Caisse d… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”