National identity, religion and cultural expressions: a comparison between the United States and Brazil

A brief introduction to the theme of the 1985 Paris colloquium entitled "National Identity and Cultural Expressions: United States/Brazil" is presented. The colloquium brought to light fundamental differences in the way religion affected the culture of these two countries. The diversity of denominations did not obstruct the emergence of an American faith; religious & national unity have a common source in biblical rhetoric. But in Brazil, as demonstrated by participants Maria Isaura Pereira de Queiroz, Rubem Cesar Fernandes, & Carlos Rodrigues Brandao, the elites never succeeded in unifying the nation around an official Catholic faith. The cultural creativity of the Brazilian people expresses itself through popular brands of Catholicism & through syncretic cults, with an intricate pattern of interwoven religious & cultural elements taken from the Portuguese, Africans, & Indians. Pluralism in Brazil allows a person to consider him/herself a Catholic while belonging at the same time to one of the syncretic cults. 10 References. Modified AA