Catechists and Catechism

The religious orders recruited the aid of the Indian ruling classes in introducing Christianity, and this alliance served to support both the new religion and the old elites. Their monopoly of alphabetic literacy helped to guarantee their status within indigenous society and provided a vital tool for mediating with the Spanish overlords. Although generally denied access to the highest ranks within the church, Indian elites received a privileged education that placed them in control of parish administration and parish schools, where the ABCs of reading and the basic catechism lessons were linked in the same printed primers. The religious orders debated how much religious instruction was required for a valid baptism. Christian identity was measured by the ability to recite the basic prayers, but rote learning unenhanced by explanation produced a weak grasp of Christian doctrine.