In this video, Pilar Mejía discusses the production of religious normativity in colonial Spanish America and the Philippines. She explores how canon law, through local legislations and doctrine for everyday practice, was localised to address the particular cultural conditions of indigenous and enslaved populations. Mejía’s research highlights the legal protections and fictions that emerged during this period, as well as the growing legal literacy among local actors. Her project, a unique dictionary, offers insights into the translation of religious norms, aiming to bridge gaps in scholarship and promote interdisciplinary dialogue.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21036/LTPUB101194
Institution
Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory
The Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory considers its most important task to consist in engaging in theoretically reflected historical research in the field of law and other forms of normativity in order to make a specific contribution to the fundamental research in legal scholarship, the social sciences and historical humanities. The Institute’s research examines law, its constitution, legitimation, transformation and practice. Particular attention is paid to the positioning of historical forms of ‘law’ in the context of other normative orders. The establishment of a department engaged in developing a multidisciplinary legal theory in 2020 substantially expands the Institute's engagement with issues of legal theory.
Original publication
Kinship Trees: Image and Legal-Theological Thought in the New World
Published in 2023Al lector cándido : Advertencias para la reescritura digital de textos vivos
Published in 2024Beyond
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