Bartolomé de las Casas · Politics

The Only Way: Conversion by Reason, Never the Sword

Las Casas&rsquo;s theory of missions in <em>The Only Way</em> (De unico modo): that there is one and only legitimate method of drawing people to the true faith - gentle persuasion of the understanding and the will - and that conversion by force is a contradiction in terms.

What you'll be able to recall

You learned that in The Only Way Las Casas argued there is a single legitimate method of evangelization - peaceful persuasion of reason and will, common to all peoples and all times - and that force is not merely a worse method but no method at all, because compelled belief is not belief. Explain why his theory of mis…

Leads to John Locke.

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