Report of a Campaign Against Harmful Books: Ecclesial Censorship of the Novel in 19th century Ecuador

Abstract

The Catholic Church in Ecuador controlled public education since the foundation of the national State in 1830, until the last years of the 19th century. The gradual loss of its power motivated ecclesiastical leaders to initiate various campaigns from the pulpits. One of the most extensive actions was the prohibition of the reading of novels. The clerics knew and feared the persuasive and didactic power of the novel, which was becoming the preferred vehicle of expression for new authors and the literary genre most consumed by young people. This article analyzes the strategies that religious leaders deployed to limit the subversive influence of the novel in that emerging national community.