Science and Religion in the Spanish American Enlightenment

Abstract

In Spain and Spanish America, the Enlightenment was not an anti-religious movement. Actually, the interest in the dissemination of scientific knowledge characteristic of that cultural movement which originated in Europe in the 18th century was embraced by priests and monks in Spain and Spanish America. The many examples of Catholic clergy involved in scientific endeavors in Spanish America between 1700 and 1808 mentioned in this article suggest that the Catholic Church did not oppose the scientific knowledge promoted by the Enlightenment where its advocates did not ridicule her teachings and did not attack her as an institution.