Sacred Blood: Religion and Nationhood in the Sociopolitical Discourse of José Rizal

Abstract

This study concerns the interaction between Catholicism and the configuration of Philippine nationhood in the sociopolitical writings of the Philippine national hero, José Rizal (1861-1896). Rizal’s education and travels in Europe between the years 1882 and 1892 exposed him to liberal thought. This growth in ideological interest, spurred by colonial abuses in the Philippines, led him to write and publish two anti-colonial novels, Noli me tángere (1887) and El filibusterismo (1891), and to contribute actively to the nationalist periodical La Solidaridad (1889-1895), which was founded in Barcelona by a group of Filipino intellectuals. In his fiction and articles, Rizal advocates egalitarian relations between Spain and the Philippines and at the same time, emphasises the cultural and religious differences between Spain and its colony. Although many academics have written extensively on Rizal’s role as a liberal thinker and defender of nationalist ideals, what needs to be addressed further is Rizal’s perception of Catholicism, which forms a particularly significant aspect of his idea of national identity. Religion and nationhood in the literary works of Rizal are interconnected, yet scholars have overlooked the profound significance of this relationship. This study aims to elucidate the role of Catholicism in building the Philippine nation. Given the anticlerical theme of his two novels, one might ask if Rizal only regarded Catholic doctrine and ecclesiastical hierarchy as colonial instruments of power. Was Catholicism, then, ever relevant to the colonised natives themselves? A deeper examination of the ties between religion and nation will add valuable insight to, and perhaps alter, current scholarly views on Rizal’s sociopolitical discourse.