“Inimigos da revelação”: conflitos, criminalização e desenvolvimento do espiritismo em Alagoas (1890 - 1920)

Abstract

Spiritism developed in Alagoas during a period of conflict and significant social change. Its strategies for dealing with these were mainly organized by members of the local high society, leaders of the movement. Despite the regular openings and closings of Spiritist institutions, the central hub remained cohesive, with the support of the Brazilian Spiritist Federation as well as the participation of institutions from other states, which have directly influenced the religion's continuity in Alagoas. Through analysis of newspapers, memoirs, meeting records, and a prosopography of the movement's members, this dissertation seeks to understand the development and establishment of the Spiritist doctrine in the state between the years of 1890 and 1920, with a focus on conflicts and disputes between the Spiritists and other religions, in addition to the legal and social issues involved in the process.