Religious Encounters in the Colonial Americas

[greenqueen08]

Hey guys!!
I'm hoping you can help me out here, I will soon be writing a paper of which the subject must explore a given theme comparatively in at least two colonial venues (i.e. missionary-shaman interaction in New France and New Spain, perceptions of native diabolism in New England and New France, native women and religious vocations in New France and New Spain).
Topics should deal with some aspect of specifically religious encounter between European colonists and native peoples.

The course is called "Religious Encounters in the Colonial Americas" here is a bit of a description: "When Europeans and aboriginal peoples met for the first time, this momentous encounter had shattering consequences for the worldview and identity of both groups. It is difficult, in our own globalized world of the 21st century, to relate to the cognitive shock of first contact between peoples, cultures, and concepts which had previously been wholly unfamiliar to one another, except perhaps by comparing it to the paradigm of alien visitation. The existence and behaviour of these heretofore unknown strangers raised a host of existential questions which seemed to demonstrate the inadequacy of the traditional religious models of the world which the cultures of both continents had used to try to understand the world. These first, tentative, confusing, and sometimes violent contacts would shape centuries of religious encounter in New Spain, New England, and New France.
This course explores the effects of these complex, unfolding religious encounters upon the lives and worldviews of both European and indigenous peoples in these three epicentres of contact. " Anderson 2011

I would love to start up a little pool of ideas for a topic of my paper, I'm having a hard time finding an interesting one that hasnt been mentioned above but that will also be easy to research. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated to kick start brain!
Thanks so much!

[IowaGuy]

Originally Posted by greenqueen08

I would love to start up a little pool of ideas for a topic of my paper, I'm having a hard time finding an interesting one that hasnt been mentioned above but that will also be easy to research. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated to kick start brain!
Thanks so much!

Cortés and the Aztecs comes to mind, you could spin that many different ways...

[radarmark]

Try Kateri Tekawitha versus Rose of Lima.