Religion

In Brazil today, there is a diversity of religions.  One may go as far as saying that Brazil is multi-religious!  In the 18th century Brazil's official religion was the Roman Catholic Religion.  This was due to the Portuguese people who were the first settlers and conquerors from Europe.  Later as the Portuguese brought slaves from Africa to work on the plantations, the religion started to take on a different look.  Even though the slaves were forbidden to practice their religions they managed to maintain their beliefs and doctrines.   Since 1889 when the Brazilian Constitution was set forth, Brazil ceased to have an official religion.  The Constitution guarantees absolute freedom of religion.       

Most of Brazil's population claims to be Roman Catholic, however, there are many other religious denominations in Brazil.  Some of these churches are the:  Protestant, Pentecostal, Episcopal, Methodist, Lutheran, and Baptist. There are over a million and a half Spiritists or Kardescists who follow the doctrines of Allan Kardec.  These Spiritists believe in reincarnation.  There are followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; small minorities of Jews; Moslems, Buddhists and numerous followers of Candomble and Umbanda.

Candomble is a religion that was brought to Brazil by slaves from Nigeria.  Today, Catholicism and Candomble both are practiced by many people.  In the early 18th century the slaves were seen as heathens to be assimilated by their Catholic masters into the Catholic religion.  Slaves were forbidden to practice Candomble. To maintain their religion , slaves coupled their deities with important religious personalities in the Catholic religion.  This way the slave masters were happy that their slaves were celebrating and honoring the same religious figures they were.  For example Oxala, a male God of procreation  and harvest was identified with Jesus.  Throughout the year, the two religions had corresponding festivals.  The masters were convinced that their slaves were being assimilated.  The Catholic church had noticed minor discrepancies, but allowed the two religions to work side by side in hopes that one day Candomble would diminish totally.  This however was not the case.  Candomble is widely practiced throughout Brazil today.  Umbanda, a religion derived from Candomble coupled with Christianity and Spiritist beliefs found in Kardecism is also widely practiced.

Student Activity:

Having learned all this information on the diversity of religions in Brazil why don't you research and find other figures of the Candomble religion that correspond with the Catholic religion.  You can start researching "Iemanja" a religious figure in the Candomble that corresponded to a religious personality in Catholicism.  How many figures can you find?  Write a descriptive report or essay on the various religious personalities of the two religions.

Click here to go to an essay outline.