THE NORTH AMERICAN CIVILIZING PROJECT FOR THE BRAZILIAN HINTERLAND

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the North American Presbyterian missionary action in the inside of Brazil that had three axes of action: religion, education and health. And education would serve as a vehicle for the implementation of its proposal. The theoretical-methodological framework is based on the concepts of representation and practices (CHARTIER, 1990), school culture (JULIA, 2001) and civilization (ELIAS, 1994). The missionary station planned and founded in 1906 by William Alfred Waddell, in the city of Wagner (Bahia), intended to dominate and civilize its surroundings. Created by the Central Mission of Brazil, in accordance with North American Presbyterian educational standards, the Ponte Nova Institute played a governamental role in formulating the action policy of that missionary organization. The rural secondary education institution aimed to train teachers for its schools and men who would be evangelists and future ministers of their churches, transforming them into agents of a new civilizing proposal. The school offered an integral education, that is, the intellectual, moral and spiritual formation of God-fearing men and women, well instructed and disciplined, lovers of freedom. In addition to being true Christians, they would be citizens participating in the civil and political life of their country, builders of a democratic, modern and progressive society, similar to North American society. For one hundred years – 1871 to 1917 – missionaries linked to the Central Mission of Brazil, departing from Bahia, organized churches, schools and hospitals in their area of jurisdiction.