Uma excursão ao Mundo dos Mortos: o Modern Spiritualism e suas relações com os cenários religioso e social norte americanos no século XIX

Abstract

This study analyzes the emergence of American Modern Spiritualism as an important factor in the construction of a modern Western religiosity from the 19th century onwards. Usually directly associated with French Spiritism (or Kardecism), American spiritualism had characteristic and particular doctrine, theology and social organization. Throughout the thesis, it is intended to elaborate a description of this religious expression, as well as to perceive it as a religion fruit of modernity, at the same time that it constitutes an overflow of North American Protestantism. As the final goal of the project, we tried to understand how concepts such as mediumship, spiritist sessions or communication with spirits became part of the Western imagination, even though Kardecism – its main current derivation – is so shy outside Brazil.