Charismatic Catholic's utilization of the body as instrument of cult and praise, with healing and other techniques, has called so much attention in Brazil. This is reinforced by mass media, especially through the role played by ministers as Father Marcelo Rossi. This fact permits a reflection and a comparative study with other kinds of cult, mainly those with shamanistic characteristics, as rural Amazon pajelança and Afro-Brazilian religions. This article begins with the notion of body techniques, as formulated by Marcel Mauss, and deals with Merleau-Ponty, Pierre Bourdieu and Thomas Csordas concepts. With these theoretical instruments, the article tries to analyze a part of the empirical data collected by the author in a field research among the Charismatic Catholics in the city of Belém and among rural inhabitants (peasants and craft fishermen) of Brazilian Eastern Amazon (coastal region of Pará State), whose mainly religious practice is pajelança and popular Catholicism.
Charismatic Catholic Renewal; pajelança; body; ecstasy; trance; possession