Luther and Las Casas: Coloniality, Theology, and the Concept of the Human

This paper proposes to examine the theologies of two theological contemporaries, Martin Luther (1483-1546) and Bartolomé de Las Casas (1484-1566), in order to explore possibilities for foregrounding colonial discourses as transcending denominations and therefore constituting broader intra-European theological concerns. Such a conversation reveals similar concerns regarding the theological and political status of non-Christians, the rhetorical and political strategies for projects of conversion and catechesis, and shared conceptions of the human more generally. This paper seeks to contribute a fuller understanding to the extent to which Protestant reformers such as Luther, despite their apparent historical remove from projects of colonialism, might have contributed to the broader epistemological, political, and indeed, theological conditions for Protestant coloniality in the 17th century and later.