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Afro-Brazilian religions and religious diversity: contributions to pluralism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 April 2024

Marciano Adilio Spica Open the ORCID record for Marciano Adilio Spica [Opens in a new window]
Marciano Adilio Spica*
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste, Guarapuava, PR, Brazil
*
Email: mspica@unicentro.br
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Abstract

My objective is to explore a possible contribution of Afro-Brazilian religions to a pluralist philosophy of religious diversity. I will especially explore the syncretic wisdom of these religious traditions, showing how it can help us better understand interreligious dynamics. To do this, I begin by exposing some challenges of pluralist theses, highlighting two problems: homogenization and isolationism. Following that, I briefly introduce some characteristics of Afro-Brazilian religiosity, emphasizing its syncretic aspects, and then argue in favour of syncretism as a kind of wisdom intrinsic to Afro-Brazilian religiosity. This wisdom encompasses both practical and conceptual aspects. I conclude by demonstrating how this Afro-Brazilian wisdom can contribute with philosophical studies on religious diversity.

Keywords

Afro-Brazilian religionssyncretismwisdompluralism

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Type
Original Article
Information
Religious Studies , Volume 61 , Special Issue 2: Featuring articles on Engaging Philosophically with Afro-Brazilian Religions , June 2025 , pp. 479 - 492
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press

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