The Confraternities of Misericórdia and the Portuguese Diasporas in the Early Modern Period

During the early modern period, the brotherhoods of Miseric?rdia were established not only in the overseas territories ruled by the Portuguese, but also beyond their empire, reaching as far as the Philippines and Japan. The twelve chapters of this book examine this expansion by discussing different dimensions of the Miseric?rdias, such as administration, politics, charitable practices, finances, and forms of discrimination related to social status, gender, and race. Filling a critical gap in anglophone scholarship on the Portuguese Miseric?rdias, this work's previous absence has been criticized by scholars who believe the Miseric?rdias are crucial to understanding the past and present of Portuguese communities, both at home and abroad.



Contributors are: In?s Amorim, Jos? Pedro Paiva, Lisbeth Rodrigues, Sara Pinto, Juan O. Mesquida, R?mulo Ehalt, Joana Balsa de Pinho, Andreia Dur?es, Maria Ant?nia Lopes, Luciana Gandelman, Isabel dos Guimar?es S?, and Renato Franco.