The divine plan through the centuries of the assemblies of God: the first Icon® of the Brazilian Pentecostal visual culture

• Grant number: 19/25698-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2020
• End date: May 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Theology - History of Theology
• Principal Investigator: Helmut Renders
• Grantee: Thaylisson de Paula Rosa
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Teologia (FATEO). Universidade Metodista de São Paulo (UMESP). Instituto Metodista de Ensino Superior (IMS). São Bernardo do Campo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This research is a continuation of Helmut Renders's "Evangelical Visual Culture: Its Emergence" project (FAPESP: Process 2015.13737-7 Regular Project / Project 64/2015 CONSUN / Umesp) and focuses on the analysis and interpretation of a lithograph created in the . forties of the last century in the environment of the Assemblies of God Churches in Brazil. The initial idea is to present the whole Bible throughout human history, from Genesis to final redemption, through drawings and biblical reference. It is part of this scientific initiation: (a) to survey the imagetic and thematic content, addressing both its origin and historical knowledge; (b) understand its role in the context of Brazilian Pentecostalism and possible influence on the evangelical environment; (c) interpret the content of this religious lithograph. The general objetiv of this research is to unravel its existential meanings in the midst of an evangelical visual culture of the Assembly of God; The specific objectives are (a) to know the characteristics of the Divine Plan considering its probable contribution to the development of a specific Pentecostal religious imagery; (b) make exclusive studies of some of these objects using Erwin Panofsky's method (pre-iconographic reading; iconographic and iconological reading). This research is expected to contribute to the visual literacy of the researcher and to others and a greater understanding of the important role that evangelical religious visual culture plays, including in Pentecostalism, alongside neo-Pentecostalism and Protestantism. The lack of specialized and more detailed studies justifies the need for an analysis of the existence of visual culture in the Pentecostal context of the Assemblies of God.