Para ler as cartas do Pe. Antônio Vieira (1626-1697)

Abstract

The letters from Pe.(Priest) Antônio Vieira, written or dictated in several locations either in Portuguese America or Europe, between 1626 and 1697, are not neutral vehicles for their empirical substance. They are, in fact, symbolic products resulting from an official writing practice integrated to Portuguese and Roman “Catholic policySubordinated to the rules of the Company of Jesus and to the demands from Portuguese crown, the letters’ content require a contextualized interpretation, since they played several roles during the period, in accordance with the two genres 0/ ars dictaminis, familiar and official. The essay specifies metaphysical, political-theological and rhetorical categories that organize and interpret their content