Professor and researcher Luís Jorge Lira Neto presents research on the documentary archive of Allan Kardec and its contributions to studies on Spiritism (Photo: personal archive)
The Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF) will receive professor and researcher Luís Jorge Lira Neto on Thursday and Friday, September 3 and 4, for two lectures on the manuscripts and documents of Allan Kardec, founder of Spiritism in France. The meetings address Kardec's documentary archive and its possibilities for academic research.
The first meeting takes place on Thursday, September 3, at 2:00 PM, in room 300 of the Faculty of Medicine, as part of a Nucleus of Research in Spirituality and Health (Nupes)With the theme "The Manuscripts of the Allan Kardec Project-UFJF as a field of research for historiographical and literary criticism," the lecture addresses the possibilities of investigation based on the documentation collected by the project.
On Friday, the 4th, at 2:30 PM, the program continues in Auditorium 2 of the Institute of Human Sciences (ICH), with a lecture organized byPostgraduate Program in Science of Religion (PPCIR)Titled "Allan Kardec Archives - UFJF: reflections of the documentation in the literary, cultural, and religious field of Spiritism in Brazil," the activity discusses the contributions of the collection to different fields of study on Spiritism in the country.
PhD in Religious Studies from the Catholic University of Pernambuco and postdoctoral student in the Program of Postgraduate Studies in Religious Studies (PPCIR) at UFJF, under the supervision of ProfessorMarcelo Camurça,Luís Jorge develops a research that investigates how Kardec's documentation can contribute to literary, cultural, and religious studies on Spiritism in Brazil.
Among the main sources used in the research isThe Allan Kardec Project,Digital platform linked to the University that brings together and makes available to the public and researchers hundreds of manuscripts and original documents of the founder of Spiritism. A significant part of this collection, which includes unpublished or previously unedited materials, expands the possibilities of research into the life and work of Kardec and the circulation of his ideas.
Digital platform linked to the University brings together and makes available to the public and researchers hundreds of manuscripts and original documents of the founder of Spiritism (Photo: Allan Kardec Project)
Collection includes more than 2,000 documents
The digital collection includes more than 2,000 documents produced between 1831 and 1881. The collection includes family letters, correspondence exchanged between Kardec and his future wife, Amélie Boudet, letters between family and friends, and documents related to the period in which he began his research on Spiritism.
The collection also includes drafts of letters, printed with notes, projects and speeches produced before Kardec's involvement in the Spiritist movement, when he was still a pedagogue.
Allan Kardec is the founder of Spiritism in France.(Photo: courtesy)
The documents originate from four sources. One of them is the Instituto Canuto Abreu, whose collection is under the custody and commitment of divulgation of the Fundação Espírita André Luiz (FEAL), through the Centro de Documentação e Obras Raras (CDOR). Another part belongs to the AKOL collection, formed from materials acquired at auction.
The collection also includes documents made available by the French Forestier family, who maintained contact with Kardec, as well as a fourth set of documents donated anonymously.
Although the originals remain in the original collections, the material is digitized and made available on the platform. The portal allows the researcher to consult the image of the manuscript, its transcription, translation and classification. The work involves researchers from UFJF and external collaborators and counts with the support of Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (Fapemig).
Among the researchers at the University involved in the project are Alexander Moreira-Almeida, Dmitri Cerboncini Fernandes, Ely Edison da Silva Matos, Fábio da Silva Fortes, Humberto Schubert Coelho, Klaus Chaves Alberto, Marcelo Ayres Camurça Lima, and Marcelo Gulão Pimentel.
Manuscripts allow for new interpretations
Based on the documentation, the research proposes new ways of classifying and analyzing the manuscripts, especially with the use of tools from textual criticism, literary criticism, and the field of text genetics, which studies manuscripts as objects of study.
This approach allows us to observe details of the writing process, such as changes, word substitutions, graphics, and different versions of the same document. For professor and researcher Luís Jorge, these characteristics expand the possibilities of interpreting the material and allow us to understand not only the content of the texts, but also aspects related to their production.
"The documents contain records about customs, food, medicine, climate, and clothing, especially in family correspondence. This material allows us to learn about the life of the French bourgeoisie, and at the same time, to understand elements related to the formation and organization of the spiritualist movement. For this reason, the collection can be used in research in different areas, such as History, Sociology, Religious Science, Anthropology, and Literature. For text genetics studies, the manuscripts represent a particularly relevant source," explains Jorge.
Furthermore, according to him, the documentation also contributes to a reinterpretation of Allan Kardec's life and helps to question an overly idealized representation of the founder of Spiritism, who is often portrayed solely as a missionary tasked with establishing the doctrine.
Another aspect that gains prominence in the research is the participation of Amélie Boudet, Kardec's wife. For a long time, she was primarily presented as the companion of the founder of Spiritism. However, the analysis of the documents allows us to identify a broader role for Amélie, including in financial administration and the organization of the movement.
There are records of her managing resources, discussing issues related to compensation, and making investments. When Kardec traveled to promote Spiritism, Amélie also took on responsibilities in organizing activities in Paris. According to Luís Jorge, this participation allows us to broaden our understanding of the role played by women in the 19th century and opens up a gendered reading of the history of Spiritism.
Spiritism in Brazil
The research also seeks to understand how Allan Kardec's documentation can contribute to studies on the arrival and consolidation of Spiritism in Brazil. According to the professor, the doctrine underwent a process of incorporation into the Brazilian cultural and religious context, which allows us to analyze the transformations and interpretations built from its arrival in the country.
In this context, Luis Jorge states that the documents in the collection expand the range of sources available for the study of spiritualism. In addition to the basic works by Kardec and the books produced later through psychography, the manuscripts offer information about the formation of the doctrine, the organization of the movement, and Kardec's relationship with spirits.
One of the research fronts uses the methodology of text genetics associated with a theoretical perspective inspired by the sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. The proposal is to observe how different fields, such as religion, literature, and science, relate and compete for recognition, prestige, and symbolic power. "The letters allow us to observe these relationships from different perspectives. The same document can provide elements for researchers in the religious field, and simultaneously, it can also give rise to analyses related to literature, science, philosophy, or history," he points out.