“Em comunhão com as vidas das mulheres”: histórias, gênero e teologias

Abstract

This work aims to investigate the narratives of life stories of Lutheran women, collected through the "Campaign in Communion with the Lives of Women", paying attention to theological elaborations, the experiences of faith and the social aspects that influence and mark their experiences, in order to have a discussion about the challenges and possibilities related to women in the experience of the General Priesthood of all believers. For this, it makes use of bibliographical references from Feminist Theology and studies on gender relations, as well as analyzes and systematizes the content of the Campaign. The first chapter contextualizes the Campaign, its impulses, and deals with its methodological description. In addition, it describes the methodology used by the author to systematize the stories and presents the themes and categories that resulted from them. The second chapter reflects on the themes and social categories identified through the analysis of life stories, describes the gender category and the concept of sexual division of labor that guide this research and reflects, from the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, on the challenges and possibilities related, especially, to schooling and the roles and spaces assumed by women in the IECLB communities. The third chapter deals with theological themes and categories. It begins with the description of the General Priesthood of all believers that guides this research and, based on it, reflects on issues related to the Lutheran faith and on concrete actions to which men and women are equally called. Finally, it proposes a discussion on empowerment, with a view to fostering dynamics and relationships that dissipate hierarchies and oppression and promote justice based on service-power. The analysis of life story narratives, from a gender and feminist perspective, challenges and offers contributions to the field of Theology and to the Church. The experiences narrated confirm that there are dichotomies and different forms of gender violence in relation to the experience of the priesthood experienced by women in the IECLB, a result of the historical, religious and cultural baggage of a society structured under sexist, androcentric and patriarchal molds. It also presents contributions to the reflection on the construction of a just and equitable society, in which Theology and Church play a fundamental role.