Between Mother Earth and Father Heaven: symbolic and archetypical aspects of Jesuit-Guarani churches

Abstract

The article deals with symbolic and archetypal aspects present in three missionary churches built during the period of Jesuit-Guarani cultural fusion, under an imaginary perspective, based in Gilbert Durand’s anthropological theories and Mircea Eliade’s history of religions. This investigation sought to interpret the architectural remnants present in photographs, taken by the author, of the missionary churches selected, in an attempt to understand their symbols and archetypes. The investigation field was composed of churches ruins from three reductions that occupied part of the current territories of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, considered World Heritage by UNESCO. It was decided to carry out a bibliographic search, with published documents and visual sources, which indicates the state of conservation of an old piece today. Since symbols and archetypes are timeless, the epistemological choice that allowed looking at the past from a contemporary perspective is considered relevant. The approach chosen for the investigation is of a symbolic hermeneutic nature. The article introduces the theme, deals with the epistemological and methodological aspects of the research, presents the symbology observed in the images of the buildings photographed and makes the final considerations.