ESTRATÉGIAS DE LETRAMENTO RELIGIOSO NA ESCOLA DOMINICAL LUTERANA

Abstract

The Sunday School of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil (IELB, acronym in Portuguese) may be considered a religious space and an educational practice that became stronger after the 1970s. In such period, the parochial schools lost their ground in congregations due to public investment in state schools, forcing the church to organize a new strategy to keep children close to their religious teachings. Thus, the present study analyzes the religious literacy strategies of the Sunday School between the years of 1970 and 1990. Inserted into the Education History area, it explores a phenomenon that has not been investigated quite much, but which is crucial in the trajectory of many Lutherans, highlighting the relevance of religious literacy in the moral and social formation of these children. We applied the documental analysis in order to examine the educational materials used throughout this period, including books, magazines, and journals with playful activities. After examining these materials, we were able to notice that activities regarding literacy and reading and writing skills were conducted, which would help improve reading, writing and development of the participants from the Sunday School. Results also indicate the existence of a religious literacy space, given that the activities aimed at children involved a Christian education.