A REFLECTION ON THE GAUCHETIAN THESES CONCERNING THE "LEAVING OF THE RELIGION"

• Autor(a) principal: Vieira, José Álvaro Campos
• Data de Publicação: 2017
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Interações (Uberlândia. Online)
• Texto Completo: http://periodicos.pucminas.br/index.php/interacoes/article/view/P.1983-2478.2017v12n21p94
• topic: Marcel Gauchet; Religion; Religious; Culture; Marcel Gauchet; Religião; Religioso; Cultura

In this article we strive to reflect upon and problematize about Marcel Gauchet's thesis concerning the process of leaving Religion. In a first moment, we discuss the Gauchetian concept of Religion. In this philosopher's work the term Religion is connected to primitive societies. In these societies the social cohesion originated from an heteronomous absolute power. Hence, the essence of Religion was characterized by the utmost heteronomy. Secondly, we examine the meaning of the expression Leaving Religion. According to Gauchet, the Leaving Religion process occurs when, in human societies, the heteronomy gives place to autonomy. Religion gradually leaves the place it occupied in early times. With modernity, the age of Religion ends, however the religious does not disappear. Religion will endure in individual terms. In the third and final part of the article, we problematize the gist of Gauchet's thesis based upon the study of a few authors on contemporary Religion and on the Brazilian socioreligious reality. We interrogate that Religion cannot be explained solely by its bond with Politics. It also interacts with other elements of human life such as culture. And when Religion is still a vigorous cultural component, the thesis of leaving Religion becomes involved with ambiguity.