Ciência da Religião aplicada como o terceiro ramo da Religionswissenschaft: história, análises e propostas de atuação profissional

Abstract

This PhD dissertation argues that the practical applications of Religionswissenschaft (Scientific Study of Religions) must be seen as the third branch of this discipline. This is based on the classic taxonomy of Joachim Wach of 1924 which originally divides the Religionswissenschaft in two branches: a systematic branch and an empirical branch. As a scientific, secular, autonomous and (trans)modern discipline, Religionswissenschaft was created between the 1850s and 1870s in Europe aiming to be an empirical-theoretical science, a solely base science, leaving the concerns on application to other professionals. Contrasting with this dominant view, more than a century of questioning has accumulated. So, in the XXI century, the appearance of more explicit reflections regarding the scientific literature of the area on the dimension of its applicability and professional performance of scholar of the religions beyond the Academy. Thus, the material object of this research is the literature on Applied Study of Religions. The present research aims to present proposals for the application of the Study of Religions, in view of the identified gap in the literature on the Applied Study of Religions. Our central basis is: L. Fleck's theory of science; the historical-philosophical classification of sciences in C. Peirce, N. Roll-Hansen, and M. Bunge; and the notion of praxeology in the modern sciences of H. Japiassu. As a method, we carried out a bibliographic review. We also use reflections of inductive reasoning for the construction of proposals for professional application for scholars of religions that solve problems pointed out in the literature. All this enabled the construction of theoretical and historical systematizations and the construction of Applied Study of Religions. It aims to produce solutions to social problems, based on research in the Study of Religions and applied through the professional practice of scholars of religion, we propose three fields of action: (1) education, as teachers of a secular education about religions; (2) health, as part of multidisciplinary teams that assist teams of health professionals; and (3) public policies, through the formulation and assistance of public policies in the area of culture