Estratégias e táticas nas visitações da inquisição portuguesa ao Brasil: o imaginário da teatralização da fé, primeiros regimentos e direito inquisitorial (1552 – 1620)

Abstract

From the cultural history perspective and through the comparative method this paper proposes that during visitations by the hole court in Bahia, Pernanbuco, Paraiba and Itamaracá states between the end of the sixteenth and early seventeenth century. “The representatives of faith” developed several strategies of advertisements that supported themselves in several symbolics mechanisms of visual or oral character to highlight a certain drama that has been able to change the social coexistence in colonial territories that was investigated in order to establish a control on religious beliefs and the settlers` moral behavior and, this way, to enable the confrontation of “offenders” behaviors that threatened the expected homogenization of the christianity dreamt by all. In this context of strong religious feelings, the edicts, the monitorio, the preparation of deocesan and inquisitorial visits, the cerimonies, the processions, the sermans of faith, the encouragement to the complaint and confession, the symbolic contained during public presentations, the exhibition of the sabenitos that was processed at the churches, the retualistic procedural and all kind of rituals have been gradually formed into an advertising instrument that by its turn has motivated the speech of “ forgiveness” and “mercy” spreaded by those who represented themselves as “heroes of christianity” the only ones who could cut with their “justice sword” the evil of heterodoxies and apply it according to 1552 and 1613 regulations, the established standards and duties, by transforming this way, the moment of their arrival and remaining in this places in a perfomance of faith that was able to give logical sense to the implemantation and relevance to their “discretionary justice” responsible for directing the sociability of relationships that should be ruled according to the dominant discourse by the “combat armed of faith” and “courage” in order to guarantee “ life after death” and the transcendental “reconnect”