TY - JOUR TI - Benzedeiras: Lights and Shadows of the Religious Healing Practice in Brazilian Folk Catholicism AU - Siuda-Ambroziak, Renata TI - Benzedeiras: Lights and Shadows of the Religious Healing Practice in Brazilian Folk Catholicism AB - This article presents field research-based reflections on the socio-cultural contexts of religious healing practices in Brazilian folk Catholicism performed by traditional local blessing-givers (bendezeiras). Recognizing both illness and healing as socio-cultural processes and religion as an important key to understanding Brazilian culture and society, I concentrate on depicting important characteristics of the benzedeiras’ practice, concentrating on “lights” (positive aspects) and “shadows” – adverse factors limiting the possibilities of intergenerational transmission in spite of the continuing popularity and symbolic effectiveness of benzedeiras’ religious healing in Brazil. VL - 2019 IS - Tom 52, Numer 3 PY - 2019 SN - 0137-2432 C1 - 2084-4077 SP - 191 EP - 204 DO - 10.4467/20844077SR.19.014.11373 UR - https://ejournals.eu/czasopismo/studia-religiologica/artykul/benzedeiras-lights-and-shadows-of-the-religious-healing-practice-in-brazilian-folk-catholicism KW - religijne uzdrawianie KW - katolicyzm ludowy KW - benzedeiras KW - Brazylia / religious healing KW - popular Catholicism KW - Brazil