Abstract

LOPES, Ana Paula Hermoso  and  DANTAS, Bruna Suruagy do Amaral. Social representations of divine healing on the neopentecostal context. Psicol. rev. (Belo Horizonte) [online]. 2017, vol.23, n.2, pp. 771-789. ISSN 1677-1168.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5752/P.1678-9563.2017v23n2p771-789.

In the light of the rapid growth of neo-Pentecostalism in Brazil in recent decades and its consequent social-cultural impact, the present study sought to investigate relevant aspects of the symbolic effects brought about in a religious context by investigating the social representations of disease and divine healing shared by members of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG). Five UCKG members who reported divine healing experiences were interviewed. The analysis used the methodology of depth hermeneutics and revealed the presence of elements of prosperity theology throughout the social representations of healing, as well as a significant difference between official church discourse and the one portrayed by the churchgoers. This research shows the complexity and contradictions present in the divine healing process, justifying the need for further studies in this field.

Keywords : Divine healing; Social representations; Neo-Pentecostalism; Universal Church of the Kingdom of God; Depth hermeneutics.

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