O ensino religioso no Rio de Janeiro: a presença do discurso católico tradicionalista entre padres, professores e a Pastoral da Educação

Abstract

Religious Education in Brazilian public schools is a topic that allows for reflections on not only educational but also religious and political issues. This research investigates how the discourse on confessional Religious Education in Rio de Janeiro has been influenced by discourses from traditionalist and reactionary Catholic groups. By analyzing the content discussed in the Education Pastoral, with the consent of the coordinating priests, the central question guiding the study is: how have the discourses of these traditionalist groups gained the adherence of Religious Education teachers, and how do they influence the teaching practices of these educators? The general objective of the research is to understand the interaction between the discourses promoted by the Catholic hierarchy—in the figure of the coordinating priests—and their reception and application in the school environment. To this end, qualitative methods were used, through netnography (or virtual ethnography) in the Virtual Group of the Education Pastoral, as well as semi-structured interviews with teachers and priests, and a documentary analysis of legislation, curricula, and course plans for the subject. This research was largely conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, which imposed methodological challenges since, unlike conventional ethnography that demands face-to-face interaction between researcher and informant, this one was entirely conducted without physical contact with the informants.The results indicate that, although there is strong advocacy for confessional Religious Education without concern for religious plurality (as required by law) by the leadership, teacher adherence varies. While some reproduce the coordination's discourse in the classroom, most teachers do not always implement what the leadership demands, as most educators are much more concerned with adapting to the determinations of school managers and maintaining their working conditions. That is, one thing is the leadership's discourse; quite another is the practice of teachers on the ground. It can be said that this study contributes to the debates on secularity, religious pluralism, conservatism and the connections between religious and political discourses, and finally, helps to reflect on the challenges of Religious Education in Brazilian public schools.