Numen

O Padre Bruxo de Trás-os-Montes

Rodrigo Portella — 2025-12-25

Editorial

Rodrigo Portella — 2025-12-25

Living in a material world

João Batista Ribeiro Santos — 2025-12-25

This essay aims to investigate the conjunctural form of women’s daily life, considering their technical, and religious activities. Particularly in the case of Israeli women, historically situating the threat of changing their community work environment to transform them into servants in the king’s palace. The hypothesis is that female agency is the protagonist in the long-term transformation of these structures, founding new spaces. The Hebrew textual fragment of I Samuel 8:13 will compose, with archaeological artifacts and ethnological research, the framework of material sources that will provide the interdisciplinary bases of the approach.

O corpo na encruzilhada

Eduardo Bonine — 2025-12-25

Na encruzilhada entre cultura e poder, tendo a religião como retórica estruturadora das disputas e negociações sociais, o corpo pode ser percebido como um dispositivo de controle, mas também como um recurso de alteridade. Este texto propõe uma reflexão sobre diferentes conceitos de corpo para apresentar o quanto os diferentes processos de existência a partir do corpo podem representar tanto desigualdades quanto diversidades. Giorgio Agamben, David Le Breton e Michel Foucault oferecem sistematizações teóricas que auxiliam na percepção arbitrária de corpo do Brasil-nação e transgressora da brasilidade. Na conclusão, são propostos três diferentes conceitos a partir do corpo que podem ser aplicados na Ciência da Religião como possibilidades de perceber, reconhecer e legitimar a multiplicidade religiosa presente no país e o quanto o corpo é intrínseco às negociações sociais.

Religion and Sociology:

Bryan Henrique Pinto — 2025-12-25

Classical sociology placed considerable emphasis on religion: the founding fathers, whether directly or indirectly, reflected on the religious phenomenon. Such reflections were fundamental to the development of the sociology of religion and can be seen in the contributions of Pierre Bourdieu and Peter Berger. However, in recent years it seems that the sociology of religion has drifted away from general sociology—contemporary sociology has paid little attention to religion (Furseth & Repstad, 2023). In their recent book Sociology of Religion: Classical and Contemporary Perspectives (2023), Furseth and Repstad sought to respond to this trend by bringing contemporary sociologists together to consider the phenomenon of religion. Inspired by the authors’ provocation, this article aims to bring into dialogue two authors from the canon of contemporary sociology, Louis Althusser and Anthony Giddens, in order to reflect, through their works, on theories present in the sociology of religion—namely secularization, desecularization, and religious fundamentalism.

Narrativas entrelaçadas e dignidade restaurada

José Ancelmo Santos Dantas — 2025-12-25

This article offers a reading of Mark 5:21–43 through narrative and theological analysis, focusing on the central characters — Jairus, the hemorrhaging woman, and Jesus — in their conflicts, actions, and transformations. The pericope is examined as a “sandwich” structure, highlighting the parallels between the two stories. The study assumes that the narrator guides the reader to recognize that, although Jairus and the woman come from different social backgrounds, both have their pleas answered by Jesus. The methodology follows the principles of narrative criticism, emphasizing the perspectives of the characters and the narrator, based on authors such as Tolmie, Brown, Keener, and Champlin, as well as patristic sources. The investigation reveals that faith arises amid suffering and that Jesus welcomes, heals, and restores dignity. The article concludes that an encounter with Christ redefines human existence and reverses the condition wounded by exclusion, marginalization, and pain.

ARCHAEOLOGY OF RELIGION:

Rodrigo Nogueira Martins — 2025-12-25

This article investigates the intersection between Religious Studies and Archaeology, exploring religious materiality as a central element in understanding sacred experiences. Based on the theories of David Morgan, Birgit Meyer, Alfred Gell, and Bruno Latour, the study examines how objects, symbols, and religious spaces act as mediating agents in the relationship between believers and the sacred. From the perspective of Material Religion, the discussion highlights how materiality not only reflects beliefs but also constitutes and transforms them. The objective is to demonstrate that the analysis of religious materialities expands the methodological horizons of Religious Studies, reinforcing its interdisciplinary nature and highlighting Archaeology as an essential field for this investigation.

Editorial do dossiê

Sônia Regina Corrêa — 2025-12-25

Yoga no Sistema Único de Saúde

Léo Fernandes Pereira — 2025-12-25

With the growing presence of Yoga in the Unified Health System (SUS), a critical analysis of its appropriate conceptualization beyond its governmental classification as Integrative and Complementary Health Practice (PICS) has become important. This need arises from the diversity of understandings and applications of Yoga in this context, ranging from instrumentalized frameworks (‘physical activity’), its connection as a ‘therapeutic resource’ of Ayurvedic medical rationality and ‘Yoga as a medicine’, to conceptual proposals such as ‘Integrative Body Practice’. This essay critically analyzes these definitions, discussing advantages and disadvantages of its uses in the SUS. In addition to these approaches, Yoga is explored as an ethic of affirmation of autonomy. It is concluded that such an ethic, understood as a universal effort to reduce systemic harm and foster an anti-colonial stance, enables individuals and communities to seek well-being and autonomy even in the face of unequal and alienating social structures.

Medical students perceptions of the influence of spirituality on patients’ physical health in the light of bioethics

Maria de Fátima Oliveira dos Santos — 2025-12-25

This article aims to identify medical students' perceptions regarding the role of spirituality in patients' health, considering the framework of bioethics. It is an exploratory and descriptive qualitative study conducted with students from a private higher education medical school. Data collection was carried out through interviews, and the results were analysed using Bardin’s Content Analysis technique. The findings revealed that spirituality is associated with dimensions of transcendence, subjectivity, and trans-subjectivity. Most participants acknowledged the relevance of spirituality in the therapeutic process and believed that it can influence how patients respond to diagnoses, as well as contribute positively to their recovery and well-being.

O Curador Ferido e o desafio da cura

Débora Barbosa Guedes de Oliveira Vilaça — 2025-12-25

Considered as the theoretical basis of the depth psychology of Carl Gustav Jung, the theory of archetypes brings with it the idea that the unconscious mind filled by archetypal images, which wield a strong influence on human psyche. Considering the case of a psychotherapist, who works as a mediator in the process of self-discovery in the analytical process. There is a tendency in the psyche to constellate the archetype of the Wounded Healer. Building on this reflection, the present article aims to draw a parallel between the archetypal representation of the Wounded Healer and the figure of the analyst in the therapeutic process, and, for that, this bibliographic study, grounded in Jungian hermeneutics, begins with a reflection on the myth of Chiron.

Espiritualidade, religiosidade e tomadas de decisão de familiares de pacientes em cuidados paliativos – uma análise à luz da Bioética

Lucille Fanini — 2025-12-25

This study investigated how the spirituality and religiosity (S/R) of family members of palliative care patients influence their perceptions and decision-making in end-of-life contexts. Using a qualitative approach with mixed methods, 12 family members were interviewed in hospitals in Curitiba, Brazil. In addition to the interviews, data were collected on sociodemographic profiles, the centrality of religiosity, and the use of spiritual/religious coping. The results indicate that S/R is central in the participants' lives and directly influences their coping mechanisms and treatment decisions, although it is rarely addressed by healthcare professionals. Spiritual conflicts emerge in situations of intense suffering, requiring specialized support. The analysis revealed tensions between autonomy, religious beliefs, and medical authority, raising important bioethical questions. Neglecting the spiritual dimension in clinical decision-making can compromise holistic care. The study concludes that training in spirituality and bioethics is essential for palliative care teams.

Therapeutic dimensions of Vodou:

Eduardo Regis — 2025-12-25

This article discusses the therapeutic dimensions of Haitian Vodou, considering its articulation between spirituality, body, health, illness and death. It starts from the understanding of Vodou as a symbolic and ritual system capable of offering spiritual, social and emotional support to its devotees in the face of different sufferings. Through rituals of incorporation, offerings, consultations with the Lwas, treatments using baths and medicinal flora, the lives of the faithful are reorganized in a broader perspective, which goes far beyond the disease fixed in a specific organ. For Vodou, illness presents itself as a symptom of a symbolic imbalance that affects all of the person's relationships with the world in which they live: social, family, spiritual, social and emotional. And it is the spirits Lwas and the Gedes, ancestors, who mediate between the visible and invisible world, who translate human suffering and seek ritual solutions.

Quando a dor encontra acolhida

Nilton Eliseu Herbes — 2025-12-25

Suicide bereavement is marked by a high degree of emotional, social, and spiritual complexity. Unlike other forms of loss, this type of grief is often permeated by ambiguous feelings — such as guilt, shame, anger, and abandonment — which are frequently intensified by social stigma and religious silence. This article offers a reflection on postvention as a strategy for comprehensive care for survivors — including family members, friends, and communities affected by suicide. Based on an interdisciplinary literature review that integrates knowledge from Psychology, Pastoral Theology, and Public Health, it argues that sensitive listening and attention to the spiritual dimensions of suffering are essential for ethical and effective support. Faith communities are highlighted as potential spaces for meaning reconstruction, provided they are prepared to welcome pain without moral judgment. Furthermore, the article emphasizes the importance of collaboration between mental health professionals and religious leaders in building support networks capable of fostering reconnection, dignity, and hope. In this context, postvention is understood as more than a therapeutic practice — it represents an ethical, social, and spiritual commitment to life.

Pertencimento religioso

Valéria Leal — 2025-12-25

This article analyzes the contribution of religious communities to the prevention and postvention of youth suicide, based on the concept of belonging. It discusses young people’s fundamental need for reference points in their human and spiritual maturation, and the role of the religious community as a space not only for socialization but also for identification with values and beliefs, and for the construction of life projects. Through a bibliographic analysis, the study explores the definition of religious belonging, its relationship with the meaning of life and the overcoming of mental disorders, and the need to belong from the perspectives of theology and health sciences. It is concluded that the religious community acts as a vital social support, founded on relationships and a theology that emphasizes the dignity of the human person, thus offering a valuable protective factor against suicide.

Actualization of the conditions of possibility for hospitality, according to ‎Jean-‎Louis Chrétien, in biological individuals of human origin who present ‎‎severe or profound intellectual disability‎

Alvaro Diaz-Ruiz — 2025-12-25

This article examines the conditions of possibility for hospitality, as ‎articulated by Jean-Louis Chrétien, as they are actualized in individuals with ‎severe or profound intellectual disabilities. Chrétien’s philosophical ‎framework emphasizes the relational dynamic between humanity and the ‎divine, proposing that divine hospitality is accessible to all human beings. ‎The study identifies five key conditions for such a divine encounter: a ‎response to God's call, the communal dimension of hospitality, the role of ‎prayer, the significance of the human body, and the centrality of fragility. It ‎is argued that individuals with severe intellectual disabilities can participate ‎in this divine hospitality by virtue of their inherent humanity and ‎vulnerability. The excess of God, as the primary agent of the relational ‎dynamic, places all human beings on equal footing. The article further ‎contends that Chrétien’s concepts must be reinterpreted in order to ‎accommodate the conditions of possibility applicable to these individuals, ‎suggesting that asymmetrical relationships grounded in respect and love ‎may suffice for genuine encounters with the divine. Ultimately, the work ‎underscores the role of divine grace and the mystery of faith as essential to ‎understanding the possibility of hospitality in the context of profound ‎disability.

DIAMOND MODEL: A PROPOSAL FOR SPIRITUAL CARE FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE IN PALLIATIVE CARE.

Eva Gislane Barbosa — 2025-12-25

Spirituality is of great importance in times of conflict, suffering and challenges in life. This article addresses an interdisciplinary perspective that combines theology and bioethics, using a conversational model that values active listening, sincere and affectionate dialogue on topics such as hope, faith, attachment, suffering and guilt. The diamond model, created by Carlo Leget in the Netherlands, is a method of conversation that offers a sacred space to explore emotions and deep thoughts. The research, with a qualitative and exploratory approach, used content analysis to identify categories in the dialogues. The model allows people to slowly reveal their inner world, helping to reframe their experiences and promote a fuller life, whether in life or in death.

Espiritualidade, suicídio e pessoa idosa

Ricardo Geraldo de Carvalho — 2025-12-25

This article proposes a systematic analysis of the phenomenon of Spirituality as a transformative possibility for suicidal ideation harboured by certain older persons. This reflection is permeated by a methodology aiming to reveal that the individual develops a marked lack of vitality and creativity, and allows itself to be carried away by inertia, closing in on itself; the essential élan is shattered, resulting in a loss of meaning in life, and the desire for suicide emerges as a plausible possibility. The older person suffering from invasive thoughts, in seeking to experience peace of mind, may come to assume their finitude and transcend themselves. The outcome of this article is an attempt to reveal that the older person may gain awareness that they belong to a growing segment of the population and, even while walking the road of the excluded, will, with resilience, gradually find their own destiny.

Religious care and spiritual care

Carlos Frederico — 2025-12-25

Focusing on healthcare professionals and chaplains, this article aims to discuss the relationship between religion, spirituality and health, with palliative care as the horizon for discussion, although this is not mentioned exhaustively. Given the apparent lack of differentiation between religious care and spiritual care in healthcare approaches, the perspective chosen here will address the differentiation between these two types of care, understanding that this distinction provides different diagnostic perspectives and, therefore, different types of care. To this end, we will first discuss the difference between religion and spirituality. Next, types of religious suffering and types of spiritual suffering will be raised. The conclusion is that this differentiated approach is important for meeting the spiritual needs of patients, especially in palliative care, where these dimensions manifest themselves more intensely. The methodology used is bibliographic research.

Religious transit and multiple religious belonging among Sexual Minorities in Brazil:

Matheus Fernando Felix Ribeiro — 2025-12-25

Investigou-se as relações entre identidade religiosa e de gênero/orientação sexual entre minorias sexuais no Brasil com foco no trânsito religioso e múltipla pertença. Participaram 151 pessoas, que responderam questionários sobre suas identidades religiosas prévias e atuais, os motivos do trânsito e impacto de sua sexualidade. Os resultados sugerem diferenças significativas conforme a identidade no trânsito religioso. A análise qualitativa revelou três categorias centrais: a ruptura e a redefinição da espiritualidade, a ambivalência em espaços religiosos e sofrimento e conflito com a moral religiosa. Aproximadamente um terço da amostra apresentou múltipla pertença, proporção três vezes maior que a média populacional. Observou-se uma tendência ao alheamento das religiões por completo e também das cristãs tradicionais, com um acréscimo de vínculo com as religiões afro-brasileiras, budistas, indígenas e esotéricas. O trânsito religioso apareceu como uma estratégia para a manutenção da saúde mental e a identidade religiosa como variável contínua e não dicotômica.

The uterus as a religious symbol:

Lidia Maria da Costa Valle — 2025-12-25

This article will briefly contextualize the way in which the Uterus has been transformed into a symbol of spirituality in contemporary times. The main reason for such symbolization, according to the groups that practice it, is the search for alternative uterine health and spiritual dignity for women. Thus, the objective of this work is to list three uterine diseases, such as dysmenorrhea, fibroids and endometriosis, which have affected a large number of women, showing the two different ways in which these diseases have been approached. On the one hand, some data from western gynecological medicine on these diseases will be explained, and on the other hand, the New Age approach to uterine therapies will be shown, exploring its healing proposals, and presenting the approach of Ayurvedic Medicine. Finally, this change in the explanation of uterine diseases will be analyzed, using the conceptual frameworks of anthropologist François Laplantine, in parallel with the change in paradigms of spirituality and health in contemporary times.