A RECRIAÇÃO RELIGIOSA NA EXPANSÃO DA FRONTEIRA AGRÍCOLA NO BRASIL MERIDIONAL: CULTURA, CATOLICISMO SACRAMENTAL E O ESTABELECIMENTO DO MST

Abstract

Religiosity in regions of European settlement in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, is the encounter of diverse cultures and religious practices. Sacramental Catholicism introduced by European immigrants contrasted with the popular religions, representative of the populations already established in the region. The agrarian conflict resulting from agricultural modernization that occurred from the 1970´s contributed to the formation of social actors, significant in the history of Brazil, such as the Landless Workers´ Movement (MST). This paper analyses how the historical experience of Sacramental Catholicism also contributed to the enrichment of collective actions which resulted in the foundation of MST.