The protestant political front and the reduction of the criminal age: a theological approach

• Grant number: 15/20915-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2016
• End date: October 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Theology - Pastoral Theology
• Principal Investigator: Magali Do Nascimento Cunha
• Grantee: Antonio Carlos de Souza Prado
• Host Institution: Escola de Teologia. Universidade Metodista de São Paulo (UMESP). Instituto Metodista de Ensino Superior (IMS). São Bernardo do Campo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This project aims to reflect on the position of the Protestant Bench in House of Representatives on the subject of reducing the legal age (PEC 171/1993) from a theological approach, a critical perspective on ideology security that is behind the interest of the approval of the PEC. From the perspective René Girard thought in his book The Scapegoat, we will seek to show that the political discourse is reductionist, marked by ideology related to security, identifying in a social group (children and adolescents) the cause of violence. Therefore, we want to show the background that causes involvement of children and adolescents in illegal acts is caused by disruption and neglect in various social aspects in Brazil. From a reflection theological, specifically in the Old Testament, research should shed light that Biblical justice is not limited to forensic justice of the courts, inflexible. The term justice in Old Testament is connected to the saving act of God. Upon this, we defend it the theology of justice points to ways that restore, recover, instead of punishing violently our children and adolescents. For this methodological path will literature and systematic readings on the topics, evangelical bench, reduction of legal age, analysis of the ideological content of speech around the security delivered by Senator Magno Malta, one of the main promoters of the issue in Parliament, verification as how this type of discourse has influenced the evangelical following in Brazil, and the production of a text that justifies the analysis and search result. (AU)