Uma grande peneira: o processo de legitimação da Tenda Espírita de Umbanda São Jorge (Clevelândia/PR)

Abstract

The present study encompasses an analysis on the legitimation of the São Jorge Umbanda Spiritist Tent, located in the oldest municipality of the southwestern region of the state of Paraná (PR), Clevelândia. To do so, this religious institution was considered over a timeline, built based on the rescue of historical, social and cultural specificities of the municipality. This mapping exercise, enriched by ethnographic data (including interviews, participant observation data collection, and documentary research), allowed the visualization of the trajectory of Umbanda practices since the mid-1960s (period when the São Jorge Umbanda Spiritist Tent was founded) up to the year 2017. The strategies used by the mediums and directors of the institution to guarantee space and social recognition of the religious work conducted were then identified. These encompass the following spheres: a) institutional (through the accreditation of the São Jorge Umbanda Spiritist Tent by the Brazilian Mediumship Council and Paraná State Federation of Afro-Brazilian Cults), b) family (since the institution was founded by the parents of the current director, who intends to leave it under the care of her son), c) health (successful interventions towards healing contribute towards the recognition of the efficiency of medium works), d) charity (which promotes praise towards the moral character of the directors), e) articulation of non-institutionalized religiosity forms (such is the case with popular Catholicism, a traditional practice in the municipality of Clevelândia/PR), and f) participation of their representatives in politics (such as the case of the founder and the current administrative director). In general terms, we realize that, in addition to being recognized among the citizens due to the organization of collective meetings (service sessions / consultations and material donations), Umbandist practices propagate through individual actions: "being a Umbandist" gives prestige to mediums, who are often sought in their homes by individuals seeking to benefit from blessings, advice or words of support. For this reason, on the part of the leaders there is the concern to provide guidelines for the mediums, since they are considered responsible for maintaining the good reputation of the institution before Cleveland society. The way in which people are willing to discuss diversity (within and outside the institution) allowed characterizing the São Jorge Umbanda Spiritist Tent based on the concept of “in-between” proposed by Homi K. Bhabha.