USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

First Advisor

J. Michael Francis, Ph.D.

Publisher

University of South Florida St. Petersburg

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Date

2025

Date Issued

May 2025

Abstract

This thesis examines how music contributed to the conversion of Nahuatl-speaking Indigenous peoples in sixteenth-century New Spain during the Spanish “spiritual conquest” that followed the fall of Tenochtitlan. Drawing on historical, anthropological, and psychological scholarship, as well as primary sources from the colonial period, the study compares pre-Columbian Nahua musical traditions with Franciscan missionary practices to explore why music proved to be an effective tool of religious instruction and persuasion. The research demonstrates that music occupied a central role in Nahua religious, educational, and social life prior to Spanish contact, making it a familiar and powerful medium through which missionaries could communicate Christian teachings despite significant linguistic and cultural barriers. By incorporating Indigenous musical forms, instruments, and educational methods into missionary efforts, Franciscans created opportunities for cultural adaptation and religious engagement. The thesis further argues that modern theories of religious experience help explain both the successes and limitations of conversion efforts, showing that music can foster emotional and spiritual receptivity when combined with cultural familiarity, trust, and authentic human relationships. Ultimately, the study concludes that conversion in New Spain was neither immediate nor solely imposed by force, but instead emerged through a complex process of cultural exchange in which music served as a critical bridge between Indigenous and Christian worldviews. [howeliana_...788_Thesis | PDF]

Comments

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the University Honors Program University of South Florida, St. Petersburg

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