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<p>Brazil’s religious landscape is shaped by a dynamic interplay of historical legacies, social transformations, and spatial reorganizations. This paper explores the evolving geography of religion in Brazil through the theoretical lenses of Milton Santos and David E. Sopher, examining how religious institutions and movements shape and are shaped by urbanization, migration, and socio-economic structures. The study highlights the fluidity of religious spaces, where individuals move between Catholicism, Pentecostalism, Afro-Brazilian traditions, and spiritualist practices, fostering a hybridized religious culture. Drawing from Santos’ theories on spatial production and socio-political inequalities, this article discusses how religious institutions both reproduce and challenge social disparities, particularly in land conflicts, indigenous rights, and marginalized communities. Sopher’s contributions to religious geography help contextualize Brazil’s religious shifts, notably the rise of Pentecostalism and its spatial expansion into urban peripheries, where it fulfills both spiritual and social functions. The research further critiques traditional secularization theories, arguing that religious transformation in Brazil does not signal a retreat from religiosity but rather an adaptive reconfiguration of faith in response to contemporary challenges. By integrating critical geography and religious studies, this paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the interconnections between faith, space, and social justice in Latin America and underscores the importance of studying religious landscapes not merely as historical legacies but as evolving, contested spaces where belief systems intersect with political, economic, and cultural forces<b>.&#xa0;</b></p>

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The Religious Landscape of Brazil and the Historicization and Humanization of Geographical Spaces

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年5月13日

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  • Stefan van der Hoek

摘要

Brazil’s religious landscape is shaped by a dynamic interplay of historical legacies, social transformations, and spatial reorganizations. This paper explores the evolving geography of religion in Brazil through the theoretical lenses of Milton Santos and David E. Sopher, examining how religious institutions and movements shape and are shaped by urbanization, migration, and socio-economic structures. The study highlights the fluidity of religious spaces, where individuals move between Catholicism, Pentecostalism, Afro-Brazilian traditions, and spiritualist practices, fostering a hybridized religious culture. Drawing from Santos’ theories on spatial production and socio-political inequalities, this article discusses how religious institutions both reproduce and challenge social disparities, particularly in land conflicts, indigenous rights, and marginalized communities. Sopher’s contributions to religious geography help contextualize Brazil’s religious shifts, notably the rise of Pentecostalism and its spatial expansion into urban peripheries, where it fulfills both spiritual and social functions. The research further critiques traditional secularization theories, arguing that religious transformation in Brazil does not signal a retreat from religiosity but rather an adaptive reconfiguration of faith in response to contemporary challenges. By integrating critical geography and religious studies, this paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the interconnections between faith, space, and social justice in Latin America and underscores the importance of studying religious landscapes not merely as historical legacies but as evolving, contested spaces where belief systems intersect with political, economic, and cultural forces.