The charismatic gymnasium

By Maria José de Abreu

Subjects: Anthropology, Religion and politics, Anthropology of religion, Christianity, Catholic Church, Leadership

Description: "Tessellating the political economy of mass media with ancient conceptions of the gymnasium, The Charismatic Gymnasium traces the shift by the Catholic Church toward orthodox Greek repertoires in order to advance the concept of pneumatic liberalism to think Brazil's contemporary moment. In line with the recent interest in concepts like "life-force" or "vital substance" in Euro-American intellectual discourse, the book documents the central role of pneuma (the Greek term for air, breath, spirit) in a vast respiratory religious program that in Brazil goes under the popular name of "the aerobics of Jesus." Applying the uses of the Greek gymnasium in Christianity, this book explores the creation of aerobic exercises designed to make spiritually fit Catholic devotees in urban São Paulo." "--