A fé quando as montanhas se movem: a experiência religiosa das vítimas da catástrofe natural na região serrana do Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

This research aims to examine the religious experience of victims of the natural disaster in the Rio de Janeiro State mountainous region, in 2011. It is based on the researcher's contact with the victims since the tragedy time and also on interviews with five of them, who have lost relatives, friends and possessions. Thereby, we observed perceptions about the natural phenomenon, but above all we faced a religiosity that emerges in a context of chaos, loss and suffering. This research tries to understand religion as a matter of meaning of life, which leads individuals to another possible reality, despite the fatality and brutality of the tragedy. Religion appears in the desire and nostalgia for an eternal paradise that produces hope and strength, and encourages the human being to take responsibility for his/her life and for the life of others. Therefore, the research aims to understand the processes of religious significance of victims of natural disasters.