O crescimento da libertade religiosa e o declínio da religião tradicional: A propósito do censo 2010

Abstract

The article – based on the data of the 2010 census, gathered and interpreted by Flavio Pierucci – deals with the fight to conqueer the followers’ souls in the Brazilian metropolises. The different religions – the Catholic church, the Protestan churces, the cults of African origins, are harsh competitors and every means is allowed to get the conversion. The most relevant datum of the religious scenery – which is extremely dynamic and lively – is the decline of Catholicism, nothwistanding a number of 123 millions declared Catholics in a population of 190 millions. The religious freedom is accompanied by the “secularization”, and consequently the separation between the State and the Church. The disestablishment is the core of the Brazilian religious modernity. The secularization of the state juridical asset is associated with an extraordinary socio-cultural vitality, and, because of the large number of religious operators, missionaries of the new churches, prophets, gurus and magicians, it is extremely difficult to say whether thee Brazialian population is more or less religious now than a century ago.