A paisagem religiosa dos totens católicos: dinâmicas turístico-devocionais, simbólicas e virtuais (CE-PB-RN)

Abstract

This research results from a research effort on the phenomenon that we will call here catholic totemism from a dialogue with the theories of Durkheim (2003) and Cassirer (2004), among other authors and is based on the theories and assumptions of a cultural approach in Geography with the help of the studies of Duncan (2004), Andreotti (2013), Oliveira et al. (2016) and others. Intends to analyze the processes of writing and reading the religious landscapes composed by these totems – large catholic statues – in seven municipalities in the Northeast region of Brazil, namely: Crato, Canindé, Fortaleza, Guaramiranga and Juazeiro do Norte (CE); Santa Cruz (RN); and Guarabira (PB). The aim is to understand the articulation around the monumentality of Catholic totems and the tourist-religious practices expressed in the landscape in catholic city-sanctuaries based on a qualitative methodology. We focus, therefore, the representations (reading) of the actors involved in the processes of construction and conduction of the tourist-religious equipment (writing). Taking the city of Fortaleza as a reference municipality for a comparative exercise we intend to analyze the multiple dimensions that make up the religious landscapes in these city-sanctuaries. It is assumed the theoretical-methodological commitment to analyze the landscapes as texts that are susceptible of multiple meanings. Peculiarities, continuities and discontinuities in the dynamics of installation, maintenance and conduction, through the public and private planning, of each of these catholic totems lead to reflections on strategic processes of aesthetization and virtualization of the landscape of totems. These processes are understood as ways of maintaining permanent attractiveness around the tourist-religious movements and the consumption of these landscape compositions.