RELIGI ES AFRICANAS E O CATOLICISMO NAS ORIGENS DO BRASIL.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between Catholicism and Afro-Brazilian religions in the colonization of Brazil. We question the way the Portuguese colonists, imbued with the pursuit of profit and adventure, and also of faith and evangelization, dealt with the black slave and his beliefs. This discussion is important to understand the ways of religion and faith in Brazil, and also a form of sociability that was established from the social relations in the colonizing process. By reference to authors like Gilberto Freyre, Darcy Ribeiro, Roger Bastide and Luiz Mott we'll discuss the encounter of European and African culture during colonization and slavery and how this impacted on the formation of the Brazilian people.