Abstract

This thesis is a narrative on how different groups struggle for the understanding provided to the Afro-Brazilian religions of the process promoted by the Brazilian State with the objective of a nationality configuration. An ongoing process which has no precise date for its beginning. The end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, when the debate on the construction of a nation ideal, the Brazilian nation, starts to emerge, mark the start of the reflection presented in this thesis, which spans the 20th century, anchoring in the present times. It is therefore a reflection about a historic process according to the social sciences, especially anthropology. An issue spans the entire narrative: under which definition of religion was it possible to embrace such a religious segment in the public space? Instead of “definition”, in the singular form, it would be better to use "definitions", which varies throughout the process insofar as the Afro-Brazilian religions trace their passage from religion to culture, from culture to religion. The passage is a privileged moment of observation in which arguments that legitimize the presence of the Afro-Brazilian religious in the public space, are formulated. Arguments which contradicts, congregates, juxtapose themselves and are expressed in the debate about the Brazilian cultural heritage constitution. Thus, the formulation and execution of the public heritage policy, regarding the Afro-Brazilian religions is emphasized in the narrative, which also focus on the public racial policy, trying to present the articulations of the black movement and Afro-religious movement in the construction of these arguments. Considering the articulations not only in a national ground as well as in a local ground, in this case, the city of Belo Horizonte.