Sword, Greed, and Faith paints a detailed picture of early Brazilian history. In this new book, Francisco Weffort analyzes the myths of colonizers and colonized, the role of the natives, the legends of El Dorado, and the discovery of riches capable of putting an end to the metropolis's problems. "This essay is a reflection on the early days of our history. It also touches on Iberia, a time before ours, but one that is a formative part of who we are. Heirs of the late Middle Ages, we are the fruit of an Iberian Renaissance dynamism whose strongest characteristic was that it expressed itself more in the conquest of the world than in works of art," explains the former Minister of Culture. The New World was discovered under the sign of ambition. Brazil was one case among others in this history where violence and faith surprisingly blended to produce, with the blessings of the Church, conquest and colonization. It was the triad of sword, greed, and faith that, through the long struggles of conquest, lasting nearly two centuries, created the continental-sized territory that is ours. Just as in Castilian America, so in Portuguese America, the conquest was driven by the dream of adventure and quick enrichment. Sword, greed, and faith reveal the roots and articulations of endemic violence, still evident today in all spheres of society.
