Formation of the Protestant field in Goiás

Abstract

This article analyzes the development of the Protestant missionary movement in the state of Goiás from the late 19th century to the first half of the 20th century. This article focuses on the activities of founding churches, establishing primary, secondary, and higher education institutions, as well as charitable works. It highlights the practices of Protestant missionaries, both men and women, among indigenous, riverine, and hinterland populations, which required the presence of individuals with appropriate training for these activities, almost always preceded by reconnaissance trips.  The problematization of the practices involved in the formation of this field draws on Pierre Bourdieu’s observations regarding the material and religious aspects of social formation, as well as the rational and intellectualized forms of knowledge conditioned by belief systems. We therefore draw on some of Bourdieu’s (2007) considerations regarding the religious field, the sacralization of space, and goods of salvation.