Many exchanges (symbolic and material) between both sides of the Atlantic have been greatly explored from the historical  point of view, however, the anthropological perspective, as well as an orientation towards “Lusophone” reality, still needs more attention.

Works like Gilroy’s (1993) and Thornton’s (1998) are landmarks in the discussions on the so-called “Black Atlantic” and gave new directions to the conceptual generalizations about the African “diaspora”. The Lusophone world, however, didn’t have its place there, being always observed almost from the perspective of “successful” models that were used by the Empire during its time of expansion (cf. Boxer 1991) or were limited to the colonial period.

“The result (of the contact) was the emergence of a new ‘afro-atlantic’ religion that was often identified as christian, specially in the “New World”, but was a type of christianity that could satisfy both african and european understanding of religion” (Thornton: 1998, pp. 235).

Nevertheless I go further and declare that such “ontological confluences” only were possible due to a constant adptative handling of the catholic church to a distinct reality. On the other hand, the manipulation of these handlings in favour of its own political local interests by the quilombola communities sums political factors to the discussion to the factors related by other authors – in special the missionaires travel acconts – as Cavazzi (1687) and Luca da Caltanisetta (1701).

 

LIBOLO Project

“Município do Libolo, Kwanza Sul, Angola: aspectos linguístico-educacionais, históricoculturais, antropológicos e sócio-identitários”

Coordinated by:

Prof. Drº Carlos Figueiredo (U Macau)

Profª Drª Márcia de Oliveira (USP)

Anthropology area:

Ana Stela de A. Cunha

Paulo Jeferson Pilar Araújo

All the pictures were taken under this project.

 

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