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

During the early modern period, the brotherhoods of Misericordia 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 Misericordias, 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 Misericordias, this work's previous absence has been criticized by scholars who believe the Misericordias are crucial to understanding the past and present of Portuguese communities, both at home and abroad.

Contributors are: Ines Amorim, Jose Pedro Paiva, Lisbeth Rodrigues, Sara Pinto, Juan O. Mesquida, Romulo Ehalt, Joana Balsa de Pinho, Andreia Duraes, Maria Antonia Lopes, Luciana Gandelman, Isabel dos Guimaraes Sa, and Renato Franco.