Place and Religious Geographicity of the New Catholic Communities of Sobral (CE)

Abstract

Place Studies in Geography cover a diversity of perspectives, from location and identity conditions to existential manifestation. The present study intends to contribute to the epistemology of place by understanding the new Catholic communities Maranata and Rainha da Paz, in the city of Sobral (in the northeastern state of Ceará, Brazil), and interpreting them in light of the concept of liminal place. Methodologically, it draws upon Cultural and Humanistic Geography, especially in the subfield of Geography of Religion, and incorporates both community members' and the researcher's own experiences, as well as annotations, photography, interviews and poetic expression. This has resulted in multiple meanings attributed to place, highlighting the intersection between religious conservatism, and collective and individual experiences.