Deus explicado, é deus diminuído - da superstição à teologia popular : um estudo da religião no povo em Luís da Câmara Cascudo

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to analyse the Brazilian popular religiosity according to Luís da Câmara Cascudo’s reflections about superstition. From the analysis of the book Religion in People (1974), mainly, it is intended to understand how the logic of superstition is present and, at the same time, how it is the characterizing unit of all existing religiousness since Brazil’s formation as a colony of Portugal. In order to do that, the conception of the term “popular teology”, proposed by Câmara Cascudo, was analysed and linked to his notions of superstition. Historical facts from the beginning of the colonization process and the subsequent implementation of the Catholic Church in Brazil will be resumed through a literature review. To this end, several authors, responsible mainly for Christianity theology study, were used. It is crucial for this study the analysis of the logic responsible for maintaining the peculiarity of Brazilian people’s religious behavior, which was developed by and parallel to the recognitions of the Catholic Church.