O PAGANISMO BRASILEIRO: ENTRE A RECRIAÇÃO EUROPEIA E O DIÁLOGO COM RELIGIÕES INDÍGENAS E AFRO-BRASILEIRAS

This article examines contemporary neopaganism in Brazil, focusing on its interactions with Indigenous and Afro-Brazilian religious traditions. It argues that Brazilian neopaganism, though of European origin, has been reinterpreted through cultural adaptation, incorporating local elements such as orixás, indigenous entities, and shamanic practices, thereby developing unique characteristics beyond mere reproduction of foreign models. The authors contend that this process creates tensions around cultural appropriation and gender relations, which affect identity construction and raise ethical challenges. The methodology combines bibliographic research with content analysis, enabling qualitative interpretation of relevant literature.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This article investigates the manifestations of contemporary neopaganism in Brazil, focusing on its dialogues with Indigenous and Afro-Brazilian religious traditions. From a historical perspective, it demonstrates how this spiritual movement of European origin has been reinterpreted and reshaped through processes of cultural adaptation in the Brazilian context. The methodology combines bibliographic research based on academic sources (GIL, 2002) with content analysis as developed by Bardin (2011), enabling a qualitative and systematic interpretation of relevant literature. The findings reveal that Brazilian neopaganism goes beyond the mere reproduction of foreign models, developing unique characteristics by incorporating local elements such as orixás, indigenous entities, and shamanic practices. This process also gives rise to significant tensions, particularly regarding issues of cultural appropriation and gender relations, which traverse identity construction and raise ethical challenges within contemporary Brazilian pagan practices.