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Publication
A reforma protestante e o pensamento democrático americano : a individualização da fé e a emancipação do individuo na viabilização da democracia
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Resumo - Este estudo pretende mostrar a influência da teologia protestante, praticada pelos colonos na América, na construção da democracia americana O postulado defendido pela Reforma de Lutero - o sacerdócio universal - e os princípios que ele congrega em si, sola fides e sola scriptura, conducentes à individualização da fé, conferem um sentido de dignidade ao Homem e promovem a consciência individual, autonomia de pensamento e juízo crítico independente, elementos essenciais à viabilização do sistema democrático e que se encontram cristalizados no Man Thinking do pensamento de Emerson, o filósofo da democracia americana.
A sua estrutura desenha-se do seguinte modo: Partimos da abordagem do conceito de democracia, desde os modelos da Antiguidade Clássica até aos teóricos Iluministas para, depois, nos debruçarmos sobre a teologia da Reforma Protestante. Seguidamente, fazemos uma análise à organização social e política e ao modus vivendi das primeiras colónias no Novo Mundo; analisamos alguns documentos e textos, enquanto testemunhos daqueles pressupostos. Fazemos, depois, uma breve dissecação do sistema político americano, identificando as sementes da herança protestante e os frutos produzidos na construção da singularidade da democracia americana. Finalmente, procedemos à análise de dois textos de Emerson - Self-Reliance e The American Scholar - que reflectem o modo como a Reforma de Lutero moldou o pensamento filosófico e político desta nação e que, ainda hoje, pode contribuir para a viabilização das democracias contemporâneas
Abstract - This dissertation examines the protestant settlers’ theological beliefs in America and the influence they had on shaping the present-day American democracy. Luther’s Reformation with its emphasis on the priesthood of the believers and sola fides, sola scriptura stated that each individual is equal before God and made him the center of his own spiritual decisions. Allowing for the freedom of the inner self and rejecting temporal authority, it promoted the need to follow the individual conscience and a sense of independent and critical thought. This individual can be found in Emerson’s philosophical thought and he is the ‘Man Thinking’ who can build workable democratic systems nowadays. As for the structure, firstly we consider the concept of democracy throughout history, from the Greek polis and Roman republic to the Enlightenment, focussing on the political ideas that had further influence on the making of the American democratic system. Then we will study the theology of the Protestant Reformation, stressing those doctrines that led to the individual emancipation. After that we focus on the settlers’ modus vivendi in America, giving special attention to some documents and their own writings and recordings that show the protestant doctrines that helped shape their political ideas and build their republic. We also take a brief approach to their political system to find out the seeds of the protestant legacy in making it unique. Finally we analyze Emerson’s writings – Self-Reliance and The American Scholar - to see the influence that Luther’s Reformation had in shaping American ideas on democracy and how it can still give its contribution to making the western democracies work
Abstract - This dissertation examines the protestant settlers’ theological beliefs in America and the influence they had on shaping the present-day American democracy. Luther’s Reformation with its emphasis on the priesthood of the believers and sola fides, sola scriptura stated that each individual is equal before God and made him the center of his own spiritual decisions. Allowing for the freedom of the inner self and rejecting temporal authority, it promoted the need to follow the individual conscience and a sense of independent and critical thought. This individual can be found in Emerson’s philosophical thought and he is the ‘Man Thinking’ who can build workable democratic systems nowadays. As for the structure, firstly we consider the concept of democracy throughout history, from the Greek polis and Roman republic to the Enlightenment, focussing on the political ideas that had further influence on the making of the American democratic system. Then we will study the theology of the Protestant Reformation, stressing those doctrines that led to the individual emancipation. After that we focus on the settlers’ modus vivendi in America, giving special attention to some documents and their own writings and recordings that show the protestant doctrines that helped shape their political ideas and build their republic. We also take a brief approach to their political system to find out the seeds of the protestant legacy in making it unique. Finally we analyze Emerson’s writings – Self-Reliance and The American Scholar - to see the influence that Luther’s Reformation had in shaping American ideas on democracy and how it can still give its contribution to making the western democracies work
Description
Dissertação de Mestrado em Estudos Americanos apresentada à Universidade Aberta
Keywords
Sociedade americana Cultura americana Reforma religiosa Protestantismo Teologia Democracia American society American culture Religious reform Protestantism Theology Democracy Emerson Individualism