"For the conversion and salvation of those that no other language knows": João Ferreira de Almeida and the Protestant writing at 17th century Batavia.
Protestantism; missions; João Ferreira de Almeida; Asia; The Dutch East India Company.
The present research aims to understand some aspects of the Protestant missions in Batavia, known nowadays as Jakarta (Indonesia), during the 17th century. For that matter, it will be taken as a premise the analysis of the life trajectory of João Ferreira de Almeida, portuguese Calvinist, responsible for the translation of texts used for the propagation of the Protestant faith in Batavia. The trajectory of Almeida, in a micro context, will be added to the macro context of the Iberian Union, in which Portugal and Netherlands compete for strategical possessions and use religion in order to consolidate political goals. It is intended to present the central points about the path of this translator, apart from seeking to understand how the Protestant racing has been inserted inside the political context just mentioned. Also, one will seek to comprehend the Protestant thought propagated in the theological contemporary texts from sources (materials for catechetical purposes) used by the missionaries, as well as by the target audience and the relations developed with the other cultural mediators.