Os argumentos da fé: o caso da igreja Ebenezer e a forma de atuação da religião na sociedade contemporânea

Abstract

Since the formation of societies, religion has been practiced in an attempt to make sense of the most different situations in human life. In adversity or success, whether in individual or collective life, the Protestant faith seeks in the Bible the answers that are transmitted by church leaders to their congregants. In this sense, the objective of the present work is to clarify how an institution as old as religion still succeeds in actively participating in the lives of individuals even in the midst of contemporary Brazilian society, which defends a strong cultural diversity and the rupture with traditionalism. The methodology used was the case study, in order to carry out a detailed study of the object, thus allowing a deep and specific knowledge of it. The object of study analyzed was the form of action of the Protestant religion in the most diverse spheres of personal and social life in contemporary society. The field used for the analysis was the Ebenezer congregation of the Igreja Assembleia de Deus Templo Central of Fortaleza. According to the observations, it was concluded that the church offers both spiritual and material help to its congregants, presenting itself as an assistentialist reference for the community. But, in addition, using doctrine and liturgy, it creates subsidies to enter the lives of individuals and carry out active participation in their daily lives, teaching them that there is only one correct way to live, namely, to practice the precepts passed on by the its leadership outlining these teachings for itself as a lifestyle to follow in all its social spheres.