Different ways of practicing Afro-Brazilian religions in a transnational context: Germany
Different ways of practicing Afro-Brazilian religions in a transnational context: Germany

Summary/Abstract: In this text, I study Afro-Brazilian religions (Candomblé and Umbanda) and the ways these adapt themselves culturally in the German context, producing hybridisms and reviving European pagan practices. In the first section of the text, I present how paisand mães de santo circulate through the artistic field, creating opportunities for them to construct ritual spaces in which religious practices are conducted and future adepts are recruited. I then analyze cases in which pais de santodo not participate in this artistic field, or even have their own terreirosor initiate filhos de santo. Finally, I consider ritual adaptations and the ways of relating to the economic and spiritual necessities of potential clients. In these cases, Afro-Brazilian religions end up being in close proximity to New Age practices currently common in European cultures.

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