THE ESSAY IN THE STUDY OF RELIGION possibilities of use and contributions

Article Sidebar

PDF (Português (Brasil))
Published: Jul 7, 2025
Keywords:
Epistemology, Essay, Method

Main Article Content

Danilo Souza Mendes de Vasconcelos
Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2810-099X

Abstract

The aim of this article is to reflect on the possibilities of using the essay, as a philosophical literary form, in the study of religion. Based on the idea that the essay, because it is a more fluid writing, is a viable option for theoretical reflection in view of the epistemological weight of the treatise, we argue that the essay is welcome in the study of religion as a method of discussion and analysis of religions in their most varied phenomena. To this end, we begin by discussing the relationship between philosophy and the study of religion, demonstrating the historical distance and the possibilities of reconciliation in contemporary times. We continue to present the concept and form of the essay within the Western philosophical tradition, pointing out its basic characteristics and the problems surrounding its emergence and consolidation. Finally, we present two specific gains that the use of the essay can bring to the study of religion in Brazil: the possibility for the authors to place themselves in relation to the text; and the return to the tradition of comparative religion

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Article Details

How to Cite
VASCONCELOS, Danilo Souza Mendes de. THE ESSAY IN THE STUDY OF RELIGION: possibilities of use and contributions. INTERAÇÕES, Belo Horizonte, v. 20, n. 1, p. e201d05, 2025. Disponível em: https://periodicos.pucminas.br/interacoes/article/view/33171. Acesso em: 12 aug. 2025.
Issue
Vol. 20 No. 1 (2025): Theory and method in study of religion
Section
DOSSIER

Authors who publish in this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors will retain the copyright and grants to the journal the right of the first publication, with simultaneous license to the Creative Commons Attribution License that allows the sharing of the work with acknowledgment of authorship and initial publication in this publication.
  2. Authors are authorized to assume additional contracts separately, for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in this journal (eg, publish in institutional repository or as a book chapter), with acknowledgment of authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to publish and distribute their work online (e.g. in institutional repositories or on your personal page) at any point before or during the editorial process, as this can generate productive changes, as well as increase impact and citation published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
Author Biography

Danilo Souza Mendes de Vasconcelos, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora

Mestre e doutorando em Ciência da Religião pela Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora

References

ADORNO, Theodor. O ensaio como forma. In: Notas de Literatura I. São Paulo: 34; Duas Cidade, 2003.

AIRA, César. O ensaio e seu tema. In: PIRES, P. (Org.). Doze ensaios sobre o ensaio. São Paulo: IMS, 2018.

DE JONG, Albert. The Fading of Philosophy from the Study of Religion. In: Runehov, A., Fuller, M. (orgs) Science, Religion, the Humanities and Hope. Issues in Science and Religion. Nova York: Springer, Cham, 2024.

DIERKEN, Jörg. Teologia, Ciência da Religião e Filosofia da Religião: definindo suas relações. Numen, v. 12, n. 1 e 2, 2009, p. 09-44.

DUARTE, Pedro. Ensaio, o corpo vivo da filosofia. Artefilosofia, ed. especial, 2020, p. 69-80.

ELIADE, Mircea. O sagrado e o profano. São Paulo: Martins Fontes, 1992.

FOUCAULT, Michel. Os intelectuais e o poder. In: Microfísica do poder. Rio de Janeiro: Edições Graal, 1985, p. 69-78.

GAGNEBIN, Jeanne-Marie. Lembrar escrever esquecer. São Paulo: 34, 2006.

GRESCHAT, Hans-Jügen. O que é ciência da religião? São Paulo: Paulinas, 2005.

HOCK, Klaus. Introdução à Ciência da Religião. São Paulo: Edições Loyola,

Brasil, 2010.

LEWIS, Thomas A. Why Philosophy Matters for the Study of Religion — And Vice Versa. New York: Oxford University Press, 2015.

LUKÁCS, Georg. A Alma e as formas: ensaios. Belo Horizonte: Autêntica, 2015.

LUKÁCS, Georg. Sobre a essência e a forma do ensaio: carta a Leo Popper. In: PIRES, P. (Org.). Doze ensaios sobre o ensaio. São Paulo: IMS, 2018.

MONTAIGNE, Michel. Os ensaios: uma seleção. São Paulo: Penguin; Cia. Das Letras, 2010.

MÜLLER, Friedrich Max. Primeira palestra. REVER, São Paulo. v. 20, n. 1, p. 305-329, 2020.

NIETZSCHE, Friedrich. Crepúsculo dos ídolos. Ou como se filosofa com o martelo. Petrópolis: Vozes, 2014.

OTTO, Rudolf. O sagrado: os aspectos irracionais na noção do divino e sua relação com o racional. São Leopoldo: Sinodal/EST; Petrópolis: Vozes, 2007.

PADEN, William. Elements of a new comparativism. Method & Theory in the Study of Religion, v. 8, n. 1, p. 5-14, 1996.

PIEPER, Frederico. Entre o passado e o futuro. Horizontes para a Fenomenologia da Religião. Religare, v. 19, n. 2, 2022, p.259-288.

PIEPER, Frederico. Religião: limites e horizontes de um conceito. Estudos de Religião, v. 33, n. 1, 2019, p. 5-35.

PLATÃO. Hípias Maior. Trad. De Carlos Alberto Nunes. Belém: Ed. UFPA, 1980.

ROCHA, Alessandro. Teologia sistemática no horizonte pós-moderno. São Paulo: Vida, 2007.

SHARPE, Eric. Comparative Religion: a History. London: Duckworth, 1986.

STAROBINSKY, Jean. É possível definir o ensaio? In: PIRES, P. (Org.). Doze ensaios sobre o ensaio. São Paulo: IMS, 2018.

STODDARD, B; MARTIN, C. (orgs.) Stereotyping Religion: Critiquin Clichés. New York: Bloomsbury, 2017.

SULLIVAN, J. J. Essai, essay, ensaio. In. PIRES, P. (Org.). Doze ensaios sobre o ensaio. São Paulo, IMS, 2018

VATTIMO, Gianni. A sociedade transparente. Lisboa: Edições 70, 1991.

WACH, Joachim. Sociologia da religião. São Paulo: Paulinas, 1990.