The traumatic Spanish invasion of Mesoamerica, and the Ibero-Catholic colonialism that followed, truly transformed Indigenous political, economic, and socio-cultural practices. Confronted by dogmatic European literary regimes, strident indoctrination, and acts of structural violence, how could 'Aztec' education have survived in colonial times? An Unholy Pedagogy rethinks education studies by centering discussions on Indigenous visions of learning that shaped schooling throughout the sixteenth century. Joshua Jacob Fitzgerald tracks education systems before the Spanish-Catholic invasion, examining the writings, art, and architecture of Nahua communities. He analyses Nahuatl primary sources and historical art and archaeological sources, focusing especially on materials produced by Indigenous and Indigenous-Christian artists and scribes. This fascinating interdisciplinary study reveals the ways that Nahua students transformed pedagogy, shaped learning, and preserved local knowledge.

‘By applying the wide frame of ‘learningscapes’ to the spaces of sixteenth-century Mexico, Joshua Fitzgerald captures the full measure of Indigenous agency as peoples across generations learned to be members of a new post-invasion society. A novel interpretation.’

Barbara Mundy - Tulane University

‘Joshua Fitzgerald's Unholy Pedagogy is a sophisticated and nuanced study. He traces education and learningscapes from pre-contact times well into the colonial period looking at the pedagogy under the Mexica and how it was subverted by the Spanish. All in all, this is a fascinating look at education as it bridged between traditional Mexica society and the world of the Spanish colonizers.’

John F. Schwaller - Professor Emeritus, University at Albany (SUNY)

‘Focusing on the Nahuas of central Mexico, this book reconsiders the Ricardian notion of a ‘spiritual conquest’ by highlighting the fundamental Nahua nature of the local ‘learningscapes’ where the Nahua-Christian dialogue occurred. Joshua Fitzgerald provides a balanced assessment of Indigenous agency and perseverance, destruction and loss, five centuries after the arrival of the Church in Mexico. It is a fine addition to a deep historiography.’

Kevin Terraciano - University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)