O preço da conversão: análise das trocas simbólicas e dos mecanismos de subjetivação dos conversos na Assembleia de Deus.

Abstract

In this paper we discuss the social processes related to convertion to the Assembly of God - AD, having as empirical object a religious community of that denomnation in the city of Campina Grande – Paraiba State - Brazil. We study how the new habitus of the converted is sharped following two investigative stages: 1) from the institutional side, through understanding and practices that the Experts Staff/The Religious stuff Producers and Managers have about the process; 2) and from the experiential narratives of those who become AD’s Members, through the stages provided by the institution, which culminate in water baptism. Therefore, inspired by the contributions of Pierre Bourdieu and Michel Foucault, we focused on the relationship between agents and structure, the incorporation of mechanisms of particular ways of being, acting and feeling as a AD’s Member, analizing the undergoing subjectivation processes in the context of conversion trajectory of individuals in the AD. As a qualitative study, we used the techniques of direct observation, systematically visiting the training activities of the converts, and also did interviews with a random sample of non-institutional actors and new converts and their relatives.