Doctrine of Discovery: Dismantling the Church’s Authorization of Supremacy
In 1452, Pope Nicholas V issued Dum Diversas, a Papal Bull (reaffirmed by subsequent popes) which came to be known as the Doctrine of Discovery. This gave church authorization to the global movement of European conquest and colonization, which decimated the Native populations in the Americas. While many countries in Africa and Asia saw significant suffering, Sri Lanka’s colonial exploitation lasted 453 years, one of the longest in history.
European colonialism may have formally ended, but its supremacist mindset has captured us. How shall we dismantle it?
In our final October session, Thursdays with OMNIA will explore this critical question for our time. Please plan to join our global Zoom conversation next Thursday, October 29th at 2:00 p.m. GMT (7:00 a.m. in California, 9:00 a.m. in Chicago, 3:00 p.m. in Nigeria, 7:30 p.m. in Sri Lanka, 8:00 p.m. in Bangladesh.) Please double check your time zone.
We invite your participation and engagement. The conversation will be initiated by two experts on the subject, who are grounded in contextual realities:
- Dr. George “Tink” Tinkeris the Emeritus Professor of American Indian Cultures and Religious Traditions at Iliff School of Theology, Denver, Colorado. He is a member of the wazhazhe, Osage Nation. Dr. Tinker is a renowned expert on Native American history, culture and spirituality. He is the author of many books including, American Indian Liberation: A Theology of Sovereignty. (2008)
- Dr. Darshi Thoradeniya is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of History, at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. She received her Ph.D. in history at the University of Warwick in the UK specializing in the History of Medicine and gender issues. She has published many articles particularly in the area of reproductive rights. The winner of many awards and grants, her research and teaching includes colonialism.
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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the Decolonization Alliance, please email President Bautista at lbautista@umcjustice.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP.