MISSION AND AFRO‐BRAZILIAN CULTURAL REALITY

Abstract

The black speaker tells his story: The lasso was zipping through the woods. Run, get him. Don't let them get No one knew where these men had come from. They came running, grabbing everything. They were neither young nor old. They would throw the pots to the ground, overturning and piling everything up right there in the middle of the jungle, in our home. Whoever fled into the depths of the jungle was hunted like a crazy escaped animal about to tear someone to pieces. They threw the lasso at me. I couldn't take another step. I was dragged over the ground behind some animal until I lost my senses. I awoke on the seashore, amidst many others. Some I recognized, others I did not. The silence was heavy and no one could say anything. And to whom would we talk? What would we say? One by one we were thrown aboard an old, filthy ship. Without food, drink or anything. We left everything behind. The ship in the water. People alive, in the midst of vomit and excrement. Eating filth and drinking salt water. Those who died would be thrown into the sea. We didn't know if it was night or day. Mama? Papa? My brothers and sisters? Where were they? How were they? At certain times the Big One would appear. The Big One would come and see who had died and order them to be taken away. One day I arrived here. After living a long time at sea. Without knowing how long I had spent in that horror. What was the land called? No one knew. Braaaaazil, was what they would say. And I stayed. I stayed to tell of the atrocities that were committed. Black men and women tell the story and make history. It is from this view we wish to share the feelings, thoughts, indignation, discoveries, enrichments and losses of the Afro people before the mission's history. This memory of suffering and resentment will accompany us through these pages, since the mission of the Christian churches is part of the scene of terror that we have just told. We believe that it is for this the effort of the Afro community is in the process of historical recuperation, theological reconstruction, re-reading of the Bible and announcement of a God who survived, together with the people in the process of denial and extermination of the African identity and culture. This is why we resist, today we can proclaim it! Mission: denial of life Mission: slavery of the body, salvation of the soul Brazil was the last country in the world to abolish African slavery. Not only did slavery there last the longest, it was also the most cruel ever recorded in history. The church as an institution consented to and legalized slavery. The mission was understood as rescuing souls, condemned to die in sin, in Africa, and save them by teaching them the gospel in the Americas. The logic in the missionary work consisted of passing from free bodies and enslaved souls in Africa to saving enslaved bodies and free souls. This logic is found in the theology of slavery, which was based on two main theological discourses: that of the theology of transmigration and the theology of retribution. The theology of transmigration states that the Africans would need to undergo successive migrations in order to reach their soul's salvation. These migrations consisted of: leaving Africa for America and from America to the Heavenly Land. Slavery was a temporary state necessary to reach salvation. Slavery was part of God's plan to save the Africans. There were three places for them: Africa as hell, the kingdom of the body's captivity and soul; Brazil as purgatory, captive only in body; and Heaven, where ultimate freedom is enjoyed. In the theology of retribution, we find the discourse of patience and submission as forms similar to the sufferings of Christ and achieving happiness in another life. What we must do is give you great comfort with these examples: suffer patiently the works of your status; give many thanks to God for the moderation of captivity to which you are brought; and above all take advantage of it to exchange for freedom and happiness in another life, which does not pass like this one but lives forever. …