Reasons, Senses and Meanings of the Sacred: religious experiences in nigth watches with members of Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Marilia, SP

• Grant number: 11/18640-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2012
• End date: September 30, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Anthropology
• Principal Investigator: Antônio Mendes da Costa Braga
• Grantee: James de Sousa Feitosa
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências (FFC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Marília. Marília , SP, Brazil

Abstract

For the development of this research, after preliminary observing among prayer groups of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR) in Marília, São Paulo, it could be realized that some participant members had the feeling that they were touched in a singular way, by a power, and they had to respond to that uneasy moment. Then, attracted by the sacred, it was observed some kind of night meetings done by that members - named "night watches" -, where it was established that those members went through kind of experiences marked by deep religious feelings. Since the fact that the religious experience is a particular characteristic of the human being, it can be observed, analyzed and studied, so the propose of this study is that the sacred experiences are part of the anthropologist experience, fundamental for many people, also in the contemporary society. The object of this study is to observe and understand the sacred experience which those members went through, by the description and comprehension of the religious experience, occurred with some members of the CCR, from Marília, during the night watches, as well as to point the reasons, meanings and senses given to those experiences by its participants. Counting with the ethnography of the groups, it is proposed to contribute to the sacred religious experience study and to comprehend the presence of figures mythic-biblical, symbolical and ritual among the catholic charismatic believers.