Católicos e evangélicos no assentamento Dênis Gonçalves Carvalho do MST-Juiz de Fora

Abstract

This study investigates the hermeneutical, ideological, political, and theological foundations that justify the participation of evangelical and Catholic groups in the Landless Workers' Movement (MST), focusing on the Denis Gonçalves settlement in Goianá, Minas Gerais, founded from the occupation of the former Fazenda Fortaleza de Sant'Anna, an unproductive estate in the Zona da Mata region. Regarding its objectives, the research seeks to better understand Liberation Theology, Base Ecclesial Communities, and Pastoral Land Commissions, as well as to explore the origins of the MST and agrarian reform in Brazil. Furthermore, it aims to investigate and comprehend the moral and ethical interpretations of land ownership among the Catholic and evangelical religious communities in the settlement in question. The empirical data collection aimed, based on the experience of the Denis Gonçalves settlement, to identify Pentecostal, neo-Pentecostal, and Catholic groups, outline the profile of these active groups, gather data from evangelicals on how they perceive the right to land and religion, and understand the hermeneutics of both groups in the microcosm of the settlement. The study reflects on the importance of religion in shaping identities and the struggle for social rights. The methodology adopted is qualitative, employing participant observation, questionnaires, and literature review to investigate the religious and social dynamics within the settlement. As a result, this dissertation has provided an expanded understanding of the interconnection between the MST and its religious origins, clarified the hermeneutical methods of Catholic and evangelical groups, and highlighted whether there is necessarily a convergence between evangelical faith and conservative ideals, as well as whether there is a dichotomy between this faith and the ideals of the MST.