ST 01: Reform, Society and Culture

From a perspective that seeks to cover the human existence as a complex of interrelated network, this Thematic Symposium intends to discuss the historical relations between Reform, Society and Culture. Society, as concretization of the human living, has cultural foundations and these cannot be disassociated from background religious beliefs and discussions that influence the development of any worldview, immaterial essence of a culture and its material developments, for example an exclusivist and fundamentalist theological perspective that converges in the living of a spirituality with such characteristics. These, on the other hand, feed back such theology. The wish is to discuss the religious manifestation, amidst global societies, in its ambiguity, that range from the liberation of socially marginalized individuals to local and international warfare oppression. The Symposium envisions an understanding of the interaction between religion and theology in the tradition of the Reform with culture and society, in history and in contemporaneity.

Promoted by the Research Groups “Public Theology” and “History of Christianity in Latin America”. This thematic symposium is coordinated by: Prof. Dr. Rudolf von Sinner and Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Wachholz

Thematic lines for the submission of papers:
Reform. Society. Culture. Tradition. Spirituality.

Open Submissions

Peer Reviewed

ST 02: Gender and Religion

The Thematic Symposium “Gender and religion” has as objective to reunite researchers and students from diverse institutions and areas of knowledge to share their researches, exchange information, debate current themes and produce knowledge in the interface with these wide themes. In a specific manner, the Symposium is interested in works around the analysis of (self)biographical methodology as one of the modes of presenting the experience in the form of concept in the study of the life history of women. In this context themes will be chosen as much from empirical researchers as from the hermeneutical and historiographical field which involve the central theme of the International Congress of EST (2016).

Promoted by the Nucleus of Research on Gender/Program of Gender and Religion.

This thematic symposium is coordinated by: Prof. Dr. Edla Eggert (PUCRS); Prof. Dr. Rosângela Angelin (URI); Prof. Dr. Nivia I. N. de la Paz (FISUL); Dr. Marli Brun (Faculdades EST); Prof. Dr. André S. Musskopf (Faculdades EST); Prof. M. Marcia Blasi (Faculdades EST).

Thematic lines for the submission of papers:
Gender and Religion. History of the lives of women.

Open Submissions

Peer Reviewed

ST 03: Practical Theology: Tradition and Transformation

The Symposium of Practical Theology intends to reflects, on one side, on the development of Practical Theology as an academic discipline of Theology, evaluating its historical origins, its presuppositions and theoretic-practical fundaments, and its developments and changes, new challenges, mainly throughout the last decades, in the wider, international, context considering, in a special way and in tune with the theme of the congress, the role of the Reform on the development of Practical Theology. On the other side, there is also the intent to, from this historical-theoretical-practical fundament, reflect on the developments of the Practical Theology on the Brazilian and Latin-American context, searching connection points, but also by the specific of the discipline in this context, such as, for example, its relation with the Liberation Theology. Not at least, there is the intent to, parting from this wide view, reflect on the directions of Practical Theology and its role in the Brazilian and Latin-American context, mainly on what concerns to its vocation as theology from, in, and for a practice of transformation and dialogue.

This thematic symposium is coordinated by: Prof. Dr. Júlio C. Adam, Prof. Dr. Nilton Herbes,

Dr. Valburga Streck.

Thematic lines for the submission of papers:
Practical Theology. Theology of Liberation. Religious practice and the Brazilian context.

Open Submissions

Peer Reviewed

ST 04: Homiletics: Tradition and Transformation

The IV Symposium of Homiletics and of the Latin-American Homiletics Network (RedLAH) intends to open a space for reflection on the basic principles and main developments of homiletics, as science and art of the Christian preaching, in light of the Protestant Reform in the Brazilian and Latin-American context. Some questionings set: What type of preaching was developed in our context? What are the new challenges of the Christian preaching in our context? What is the relation that was maintained between tradition and transformation? What influences has the Christian preaching received from, for example, the theology of prosperity? From the society of Show and Entertainment? What Christian preaching corresponds to the desires and necessities of our churches, our context with its shortages and needs?

This thematic symposium is coordinated by: Prof. Dr. Júlio C. Adam and M. Paulo Felipe Teixeira Almeida

Thematic lines for the submission of papers:
Homiletics. Liturgy. Christian Preaching.

Open Submissions

Peer Reviewed

ST 05: Interculturality and Migrations

The theme of migrations in the world ascended in the last decades as a primary matter. Wars, political persecution, aggravation of socioeconomic situations, environmental tragedies and expulsion from traditional territories are some of the motives that make millions of people go out of their places of origin in search of security, job opportunities and better conditions of life and perspectives of future. Migrant people are confronted with conflictive situations, precarious conditions of life, insecurity, health problems, psychological, cultural and spiritual conflicts, besides the rejection and xenophobia in the places of refuge. This symposium seeks to open space in the III Congress of Faculdades EST for this debate, considering the situation of Latin America, from an intercultural, theological and biblical perspective. It also seeks to question itself on the most highlighted migrations, seeking to reflect over this global phenomenon in light of the Latin-American perspective and of the action (or omission) of Christian churches.

Promoted by the Research Groups “Interculturality in Latin America”, “Biblical Archeology” and “Biblical Hebrew”. This thematic symposium is coordinated by: Prof. Dr. Roberto E. Zwetsch and Prof. Dr. Flávio Schmitt.

Thematic lines for the submission of papers:
Interculturality. Migrations. Bible. Theology. Ecclesial action.

Open Submissions

Peer Reviewed

ST 06: Bible Yesterday and Today

In the religious universe the Bible is one more amongst the different sacred texts that constitute religions. For the Church that gave it normativity, the Bible is the Word of God. From the origin of the first written texts to the contemporary digital texts, the Bible has always been surrounded in conflicts, be it exegetical or hermeneutical. In different moments and in particular circumstances, the Bible played a fundamental role for the Church and for the western society. Also in contemporaneity, especially viewing the inter-religious dialogue, religious pluralism and ecumenism, the Bible is challenged to new readings and interpretations. Bible Yesterday and Today is the theme of the thematic seminary of the III International Congress of Faculdades EST that intents to discuss the questions from the past and present related with the Bible and its interpretation.

Promoted by the Research Groups “Biblical Hebrew” and “Archeology and Religion”. This thematic symposium is coordinated by: Prof. Dr. Ênio R. Mueller and Prof. Dr. Flávio Schmitt.

Thematic lines for the submission of papers:
Sacred Texts. Biblical Readings. Religious Pluralism.

Open Submissions

Peer Reviewed

ST 07: The Rights of the Land and The Healing of People

The place of emerging countries in the share of riches is inversely proportional to the rhythm of degradation that the earth is submitted to. The expropriation of the common planetary goods determines a type of economic insertion and stablishes a perverse geopolitics that injures sovereignties and violates the rights of people, species and biomes. The healing of the earth is inseparable from the cure of the people. The thematic symposium is interested in researches that dissect the complex intricacies of the technologizing forms of occupation of the earth by transformation or extraction of common goods, in researches that inventory the neglected or usurped rights of the earth and people and in the researches that arise modalities of intervention that provide healing experiences. The symposium has an interdisciplinary scope and intends to foment the necessary dialogue between the sciences that in different forms approach the rights of the land and people, critical theories on the models of development, logics of production and consumption – particularly of food, ethical reflection and respect to technologies of production or restorative ones and researches on the action of movements and organizations, overall religious ones, that focus on these thematic.

Promoted by the “Nucleus of Research on Human Rights”, by the “Nucleus of Studies on Contemporary Ethics” and by the Master’s Program in Law from the Regional University of High Uruguay (URI) – Santo Ângelo Campus. This thematic symposium is coordinated by: Prof. Dr. Kathlen Luana de Oliveira (IFRS), Prof. Dr. Rosangela Angelin (URI), Prof. Dr. Noli Bernardo Hahn (URI) and Prof. Dr. Valério Guilherme Schaper (EST).

Thematic lines for the submission of papers:
Human Rights. Rights of the Earth and People.

Open Submissions

Peer Reviewed

ST 08: Religious Intolerance: Fundamentalism and Religious Conflict in Brazil

Religious conflicts grow in Brazil, as in other parts of the world. Even though not news in the vehicles of communication, continuously, and mainly, religious centers of African matrix are attacked and even burned. Likewise people involved in such centers are threatened, in many cases, forcing them to leave their places of worship or living. The aggressions come from religious groups that see in the religions of African matrix a place for the acting of demons. The demonizing of the other, of the different, constitutes disrespect to human rights, since the freedom of worship and liturgy are guaranteed by the constitution. The objective of the symposium will be to reflect over this conflict in light of interdisciplinary approaches in the perspective of Education, Theology and Health, as well as in the perspective of the theme of the congress, which seeks in the Protestant Reform theological motivations that favors the respect towards the different in a pluralistic society oriented by the human rights.

Promoted by the Study Group and Research on Protestantism and by the Research Group Identity. This thematic symposium is coordinated by: Prof. Dr. Oneide Bobsin and Prof. M. Selenir Corrêa Gonçalves Kronbauer.

Thematic lines for the submission of papers:
Protestantism. Religious Intolerance. Fundamentalism. Afro-Brazilian Culture and Religion.

Open Submissions

Peer Reviewed

ST 09: Counseling: Tradition and Transformation

The Symposium on pastoral counseling intends to reflect in an interdisciplinary manner, seeking to analyze the relation between counseling and pastoral psychology, as well as the challenges of pastoral counseling in contemporaneity. It parts from historical aspects, passing through the development of the area and arriving in contemporaneity. Its challenge is pastoral counseling in the search for the meaning of life. The interdisciplinary relation between psychology and theology seeks to reflect on the interlocutions, the limits and the tensions between the two areas.

Promoted by the Symposium of Counseling and Pastoral Psychology. This thematic symposium is coordinated by: Prof. Dr. Nilton Eliseu Herbes.

Thematic lines for the submission of papers:
Counseling. Pastoral Psychology. Interdisciplinarity. Meaning of Life.

Open Submissions

Peer Reviewed

ST 10: Curriculum, Religious Identity and Educational Practice

Seeks to promote the interface between religion and education, turned to formation, identity and teaching praxis, linked to the knowledge area of Religious Education, with the increment of the research and scientific production, as well as the academic exchange and curricular reflection, in terms of research and teaching, in a intercultural and interreligious perspective, in consonance with educational legislations and specific curriculum parameters.

Promoted by the Research Group on Curriculum, Religious Identity and Educational Praxis. This thematic symposium is coordinated by: Prof. Dr. Remí Klein and Prof. Dr. Laude Erandi Brandenburg.

Thematic lines for the submission of papers:
Religion. Education. Identity. Formation. Teaching.

Open Submissions

Peer Reviewed

ST 11: The Other: Migrations and Refuges in the Fronteer of Life

Based on the henryanan thesis that every community is a community of living, that is, that life is this one and essential reality from the community and its members, the Symposium of Phenomenology of Life intents to reflect on the way the relations between humans of different cultures can be understood, at the same time, as a relation of the living with Life, in a way that the relation of the human beings between themselves passes through the relation of each one with life. In this context, we seek to answer the question: If life is the “subterranean affective water table and each one drinks the same water”, as Henry affirms, how can the other be a stranger to me.

Promoted by the III Symposium on Phenomenology of Life. This thematic symposium is coordinated by: Prof. Dr. Karin H. K. Wondracek.

Thematic lines for the submission of papers:
Otherness. Refuges. Affectivity. Birth of life. Phenomenology of Life.

Open Submissions

Peer Reviewed

ST 12: Symposium of Music and Citizenship

The III Symposium of Music and Citizenship is constituted by a place of reflection and articulation of the political and social practices of music (artistic, educative, therapeutic) that promote the access to citizenship and the Human Rights. This way, it is preoccupied with music challenges and practices exercised in the diversity of artistic, pedagogic and therapeutic contexts, with emphases in the in the contribution given by the Lutheran Reform – From Tradition to Transformation. The Symposium is connected to the Research Group – Music, Education and Health (MusEduS).

This thematic symposium is coordinated by: Prof. Dr. Laura Franch Schmidt da Silva and Prof. M. Jean Menezes da Rocha.

Thematic lines for the submission of papers:
Music. Musical Education. Music Therapy. Music and Health. Citizenship.

Open Submissions

Peer Reviewed

ST 13: Deaconship and Reform: Gratuity and Care

The objective of this Thematic Symposium is the discussion of deaconship and its relation with the Protestant Reform parting from the concepts of gratuity and care. From the Lutheran reformed tradition results ideas and practices substantiated in theological concepts that seek to surpass quietism and political-cultural accommodations to the status quo that, at times, put themselves directly at opposition to socio-evangelical directives of Christian praxis and common-well-being. Gratuity is versed in the Lutheran tradition as a structuring principle of the social practices that seek to delineate the action of the community of faith amidst a world and its insolidary logic. In the same way, the concept of care appears as an epistemic perspective additional to the gratuity on what regards the mode of knowing the existence and communitarian work of fighting against the human degradation under the perspective of sin, in this way, gratuity and care complement each other as articulation axels of the Christian life in contexts of peripheral development, in the economic and socio-political sense, that is, of faith in the periphery of the world. This thematic symposium seeks to reunite interdisciplinary studies that permeate researches in dialogue with gratuity and with care in its various branches, from monographic works on health, music, liturgy, social assistance, areas considered classic for deaconship, to theoretical researches on the epistemic condition of deaconship as its own field of research.

Promoted by the Research Group on “Social Praxis of the Church”. This thematic symposium is coordinated by: Prof. Dr. Rodolfo Gaede Neto and Dr. Helio Aparecido Teixeira

Thematic lines for the submission of papers:
Deaconship. Protestant Reform. Gratuity. Care.

Open Submissions

Peer Reviewed