As aulas de História como espaço para o debate: a laicidade e o combate à intolerância religiosa

Abstract

This dissertation stems from research into History education and the issue of religious intolerance manifesting both during History lessons and in other areas of public schools. Its general objective is to view History classes as a space for debate, discussion, and dialogue that helps combat religious intolerance. It does so by discussing the secular nature of the Brazilian State and seeking to foster religious harmony through the peaceful coexistence of practitioners of all faiths within the school environment. To this end, I analyzed the emergence of "projects of power" devised and implemented by certain Brazilian evangelical churches. Through observation and dialogue with students and education professionals, I examined how the rhetoric and intolerant behaviors primarily, though not exclusively, exhibited by individuals linked to doctrines such as Prosperity Theology and Dominion Theology manifest in the speech and attitudes of students and staff, and how these ideological discourses contribute to instances of religious intolerance. The methodology employed was bibliographic research, involving a literature review and critical reading of relevant works including books by historians, sociologists, theologians, and journalists, as well as dissertations, theses, and articles to establish a theoretical-methodological foundation. This foundation supports the goal of a more peaceful society that encourages the peaceful coexistence of various religions that is, living together despite our differences. The final output of this project is the development of teaching materials for public debates, modeled after an activity introduced and implemented in 2024 by the Minas Gerais State Department of Education (SEE/MG) in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC). That original initiative, known as "Escuta das Adolescências" (Listening to Adolescents), utilized conversation circles; the proposed material adapts this format to address the specific theme of religious intolerance.