Contradições e ambiguidades do espaço religioso: megaigreja, urbanização e massa

Abstract

This research aims to demonstrate the contradictions and ambiguities related to the creation of religious spaces that take place in the city context. This scientific effort is justified by the understanding of the roles that religious practices have on the establishment of citizenship, not only in terms of religion, but also taking the entire city as a reference. By treating religion from a space perspective, this research considered the historical process of constituting cities and religions, locating religious spaces within the city space. Demonstrating that religions have been contributing to a structural and historical confirmation of the city as a control and domination space over a mass of people, thus justifying the exercise of a political, economic and religious power. As part of an empirical demonstration, the historical process of urbanization in the municipality of São José dos Campos was considered, and within this city, one of its churches: the First Baptist Church in São José dos Campos (Primeira Igreja Batista em São José dos Campos PIBSJC). Assessing how this religious organization became a mega-church throughout its history in the city. Pointing-out the contradictions and ambiguities in this process, since it has been leading to the massification and alienation of its believers, as well as that of the city dwellers. These types of religious organizations have been emerging, in Brazil and worldwide, through the adoption of professional management models and of religious advertising and marketing strategies; in addition to a specific architectural and urban planning, aiming to locate centrally such religious organizations. Such phenomena would eventually form the core of a type of religion and religiosity that would correspond, in terms of faith, to the intense urbanization process that has been characterizing contemporary cities. The religious space is a 'piece' of the city and it is characterized by the same processes that have been transforming the city space into a commodity, fragmenting it and feeding socio-spatial segregation processes and public spaces crisis processes, which would be reaffirmed by the religious experience, being today, powerless in proposing alternatives to the control and domination that takes place through the city