Communities in Seventeenth and

This essay is an examination of the 17th–18th century Guaraní/Jesuit communities in Paraguay, which were exalted as utopias by countless witnesses. These authors have stressed the long periods of peaceful coexistence, the rich and fruitful syncretistic melding cultures, the successful and bountiful economic life, and the relative justice. Nevertheless, controversy has always marked these communities because many believe that the Jesuit/Guaraní missions are best understood as integral to the larger oppressive imposition of European polity and culture. These authors stress evidence of condescending paternalism, structural inequality, restricted freedom of choice, and the erosion of a pristine Guaraní culture. This essay is an attempt to examine the language of “utopia ” as a fitting description of these communities. Like all so-called utopian projects, the Reductions were conceived and devel-oped in order to contradict the mainstream cultural forces which were unjust, violent, and led to miserable conditions for the majority of people. This essay will analyze certain char-acteristic elements of the communities in the light of the religio-social ideals of the Catholic social tradition