The Double Truth of (Colonial) Mission

From the perspective of postcolonial thought, this chapter examines the ambivalent and indeterminate directions of colonial missions. Using the research of Filipino historians and following Pierre Bourdieu’s notion of double verité, I argue that colonial missionary enterprises contain dual truths. I will do this in three parts. First, I will examine many divergent postcolonial readings of colonial evangelization and expose their problematic and/or productive consequences. Second, I will expose the socio-political context of Patronato Real and its ambivalent consequences on the missionary being both the defender of the King and the rights of the “natives.” Third, I will look into specific missionary approaches, e.g., colonial territorial management, catechetical instruction, and sacramental practices, and investigate their double truths and ambivalences. Such a pluralist view is necessary to unmask the monologic readings brought about by hegemonic colonial practice.