The conception of the sacred place: the case of the community Alvorecer da Esperança (Pará, Brazil)

Abstract

This work is part of an ethnographic study concerning the Alvorecer da Esperança Community, located in the rural area of Abaetetuba, Pará. Based on authors such as Durkheim, Eliade, Tillich and Otto as theoretical support for interpreting the social reality, the methodology adopted was qualitative, more (sociological) observation than (anthropological) participation, focusing on interviews with leaders and some local residents. The work seeks to answer how they define and understand the sacred, that is, what is the place and time that this religious community considers to be sacred? From this central question, we try to understand the criteria used to define “the sacred place” and the reasons for identifying others as non-sacred. As a result, we can say that the sacred place is not related to a temple or any other physical-spatial infrastructure, but takes place at any location and time when the group gathers to perform a religious practice.