Entre gente “aspra e dura” : advertências de um missionário no Congo e Angola (1713-1723)
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Data
2008
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Edições Universitárias Lusófonas
Resumo
A singularidade do relacionamento entre, por um lado, o reino do Kongo e as regiões mbundu vizinhas e, por outro, a acção evangelizadora levada a cabo pelos missionários europeus desde o final do século XV é, hoje, largamente reconhecida. Com pontos de partida diversos e enquadramentos conceptuais por vezes distintos, a generalidade dos autores converge na ideia que, ao longo dos séculos, as cosmologias africanas seleccionaram e reinterpretaram símbolos e rituais cristãos sem que a sua solidez e coerência tenham sido abaladas. Contudo, se existe acordo em relação a essa realidade, o mesmo não pode dizer-se relativamente à identificação da natureza e importância dos factores que intervieram nesse processo. Um desses aspectos remete, segundo alguns autores, para a feição tolerante que a acção missionária teria assumido naquelas paragens, permitindo a compatibilização dos preceitos doutrinais cristãos com as práticas culturais daqueles povos. O texto que se segue procura reflectir sobre esta problemática, sugerindo uma outra abordagem aos relatos e demais registos documentais produzidos pelos missionários. Centra-se, em particular, no exame de um conjunto de regras metodológicas para a acção dos missionários no Kongo e em Angola compiladas por Giuseppe Monari, um missionário capuchinho de Modena que chegou a Luanda no início de 1713. A partir desta análise, procura-se sustentar a tese de que a acção missionária em África não pode ser desligada das representação sobre África e os africanos correntes na Europa e do modo como essas imagens evoluem no contexto da experiência vivencial do missionário na realidade africana. Nessa perspectiva, a evangelização dos africanos é pensada, não sobre uma visão tolerante da realidade cultural africana mas, ao invés, a partir de uma imagem que inferioriza os africanos e reduz a sua existência espiritual a um território de ilusão e aparência, dominado pelas forças volúveis do interesse e da paixão.
The uniqueness of the relationship between, on the one hand, the Kongo kingdom and the neighbouring mbundu regions and, on the other, the evangelical work carried out by European missionaries since the end of the 15th Century, is today widely recognized. From different points of departure and sometimes differing conceptual frameworks, most authors agree with the notion that, throughout the centuries, African cosmologies have selected and re-interpreted Christian symbols and rituals without affecting their own solidity and coherence. However, the agreement that exists regarding this reality does not extend to the identification of the nature and importance of the factors that played a part in this process. One aspect involves, according to some authors, the tolerant nature which missionary work took on in that part of the world, making the Christian doctrinal precepts compatible with the cultural practices of those peoples. This text seeks to reflect on this issue, suggesting a different approach to the reports and other documental evidence produced by the missionaries. In particular, it focuses on the analysis of a set of methodological rules for missionaries’ activity in the Kongo and Angola, which were drawn up by Giuseppe Monari, a Capuchin missionary from Modena who arrived in Luanda in early 1713. Based on this analysis, the idea defended is that missionary work in Africa cannot be detached from the commonplace representation of Africa and of Africans in Europe and from the way in which these images evolve within the context of the missionary’s experience of life in the African reality. From this point of view, the evangelization of Africans is conceived, not on the basis of a tolerant vision of African cultural reality, but on the contrary, from the premise of an image which inferiorizes Africans and reduces their spiritual existence to a territory of illusion and appearances which is dominated by the voluble forces of interest and passion.
The uniqueness of the relationship between, on the one hand, the Kongo kingdom and the neighbouring mbundu regions and, on the other, the evangelical work carried out by European missionaries since the end of the 15th Century, is today widely recognized. From different points of departure and sometimes differing conceptual frameworks, most authors agree with the notion that, throughout the centuries, African cosmologies have selected and re-interpreted Christian symbols and rituals without affecting their own solidity and coherence. However, the agreement that exists regarding this reality does not extend to the identification of the nature and importance of the factors that played a part in this process. One aspect involves, according to some authors, the tolerant nature which missionary work took on in that part of the world, making the Christian doctrinal precepts compatible with the cultural practices of those peoples. This text seeks to reflect on this issue, suggesting a different approach to the reports and other documental evidence produced by the missionaries. In particular, it focuses on the analysis of a set of methodological rules for missionaries’ activity in the Kongo and Angola, which were drawn up by Giuseppe Monari, a Capuchin missionary from Modena who arrived in Luanda in early 1713. Based on this analysis, the idea defended is that missionary work in Africa cannot be detached from the commonplace representation of Africa and of Africans in Europe and from the way in which these images evolve within the context of the missionary’s experience of life in the African reality. From this point of view, the evangelization of Africans is conceived, not on the basis of a tolerant vision of African cultural reality, but on the contrary, from the premise of an image which inferiorizes Africans and reduces their spiritual existence to a territory of illusion and appearances which is dominated by the voluble forces of interest and passion.
Descrição
Revista Lusófona de Ciência das Religiões
Palavras-chave
RELIGIÃO, RELIGION, MISSIONAÇÃO, MISSIONARY WORK, ÁFRICA, AFRICA, CRISTIANISMO, RELIGIÃO CATÓLICA, CHRISTIANISM, CATHOLIC RELIGION