Idolatry as Strategy

The aim of this article is to show that the discursive and translational construction of ‛idolatry' is not only a religious, but also a political concept in the context of colonial evangelisation and administration in New Spain. Excerpts from a catechism are used to analyse the representation of idolatry and its translation into the indigenous language of Zapotec by Dominican missionaries. The analysis of notarial texts shows the changes in meaning that the concept of idolatry underwent through its use by the indigenous population. The result shows not only the strategic appropriation of the concept by the indigenous population, but also an expansion of the meaning of the term, which, as the texts show, includes various indigenous practices that can be categorised as pre-Christian and, from a European perspective, as ‛pagan'.