CRISES OF A SECULAR BRAZIL, CRISES OF A RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Abstract

In this article, we reflect on the controversial existence of Religious Education in a secular Brazil, historically involved in social, political and economic crises. Through a bibliographic study, we problematize Religious Education in public schools, dialoguing with the discussions brought by the legislative, educational and scientific literature, briefly addressing the context of the pandemic that has affected the country since 2020, and aggravated by Brazil's political decisions in the period. In these pandemic years, we observe the difficulties faced by education in general, since the need for remote and virtual teaching has promoted new contours to teaching-learning relationships. Regarding Religious Education, the new normal will also allow some reflections on religion, religiosity and spirituality to be updated, since, in contexts of crisis, the need for religion and religious experiences can be improved. In the literature, recent proposals for the RE address not only questions about legitimacy, legislation, and the confrontation with secularization in the educational environment, but also seek to recover the emotional and affective scope of religion that, in serious contexts such as the current pandemic, may – and should – be addressed in the classroom.