Over the last decade, a number of religious groups have assumed differing
positions on the relationship between ‘black identity’ and religion. In this
article, I intend to present some of the tendencies in the current debate
between the Afro-Brazilian religions and the black Roman Catholic and
Evangelical movements. I suggest that this debate be constructed from
positions engendered from the interrelationships of these groups and from
the policies for promoting the legacy of African symbols as a part of Brazil’s
national heritage.