“With the Interests of the Peasantry": Religious Insertion and Social Commitment in the Jesuit Mission in Quispicanchi (Cusco, Peru, 1968-1977)

Abstract

The article analyses the process of installation, adaptation and change in the Jesuit mission in Quispicanchi in Cusco, Peru. Between 1968 and 1977, the Jesuit mission underwent a religious and social insertion process that allowed it to shape the identity of the mission itself and the ecclesial and social action in Quispicanchi. Anthropological research, insertion in the peasant communities and the creation of CCAIJO were crucial tools for establishing a committed mission to social justice for the peasants. Therefore, throughout the study period, the Jesuit community progressively forged "identification with the interests of the peasantry" as the core of the mission's identity. Finally, the study frames this process within the theological-ecclesial shift of the post-conciliar period and the demands of socio-political change in Peru.