Studies which explore the relations between religion and health have been showing that one of the main reasons for joining a religious institution is the quest for health care. Therefore, the choice of religious healing is influenced by previous experiences of success or by the bond with a system of beliefs that regulates social life, including health care practices. This study explores the connections between religiousness and ethnic identity in a popular neighborhood in Salvador that is characterized by its religious plurality. The main goal of the research was to investigate the relations between the cosmology of Candomblé and the conceptions and practices of health care. To accomplish this goal, it was also important to understand the social organization of Candomblé and the worldview shared by its members. It is an ethnographic study developed through participant observation and semi-structured interviews.
Health; Care; Candomblé