SANTA DICA E TIA NEIVA: DUAS LÍDERES RELIGIOSAS DO BRASIL CENTRAL REVISITADAS EM PERSPECTIVA DECOLONIAL.

This article aims to identify decolonial aspects in the exercises of religious leaders Santa Dica and Tia Neiva. Both carried out their activities in a common environment: the central Brazilian plateau of the 20th century. Our reading explores, from the literature review, the religious phenomena that constituted the Republic of Angels and the Vale do Amanhecer, and rereads the leaders of such religious movements in the light of decolonial theories. The research questions two commonplace aspects with regard to Eurocentric coloniality, namely: the social role of women and the hegemony of Catholicism. The results found point towards more fluid gender relations, in which some subaltern women exercised unique leaderships. Furthermore, they identify, in addition to popular Catholicism, holistic and markedly hybrid religious expressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]