Taking two Jurema ritual ceremonies as the starting point, this study concentrates on the analysis of some issues regarding the Brazilian religious universe. The main aspects brought into focus are, basically, the interactions between religious agencies and scholarly sectors interested in the study of marginal, secondary religions; the agencies networks - their cohesiveness, the various crossing paths they allow, the bonds between agents of different legitimacy etc.; the search for an operational value for syncretism; the homogenization of the universe, namely, the assimilation of rituals based on weak logical systems by rituals based on strong logical systems.
popular religiosity; catimbó; jurema; umbanda; religious studies
