O ouvinte da prédica e a neurociência: perspectivas homiléticas

Abstract

The research proposes to verify to what measure the contributions from the neurosciences can enrich homiletic science, specifically the Christian preaching. The research presents the neurosciences in a historical perspective, seeking to distinguish its areas of research and establishing delimitations – highlighting the biological and cognitive neurosciences. In sequence the sermon is also dealt with in a historical perspective, describing highlights and evolutions which occurred in the area of preaching from the period of the Reformation to current times. The chapter finishes with a brief systematization of the philosophical and methodological presuppositions which support neurosciences. The second part of the research focuses on the listener of the sermon in the perspective of biological neuroscience, highlighting the Auditory System and the Limbic System. In sequence, the research turns to the listener of the sermon in a theological biblical perspective, more specifically based on key words of the New Testament in dialog with the principle of claritas scripturae of Luther. Relations between the physical-biological processes and the biblical comprehension of listening are demonstrated. The last part of the research seeks to relate the impulses of neuroscience about the human being with the processes of listening, reflecting, feeling, developing and transforming oneself, seeking contributions in the neurosciences which inspire the homiletic task. The thesis takes the element of the narrative in life and in preaching as one of the resources that best corresponds to that which neurosciences point out as important for listening in a broad, deep and committed way.