What happens when the person next door is seen as an existential threat because of their political views? De Melo Novais examines how a decade of political upheaval in Brazil, from the 2013 protests to the attempted coup in 2023, has contributed to political calcification and affective polarization.
‘Political disagreement has developed into a profound relational crisis,’ says De Melo Novais. ‘Our identities harden, causing us to view political opponents as existential threats rather than democratic neighbours.’
The research explores how public theology can both diagnose this hostility and offer new ways of understanding identity that move beyond entrenched political divides. ‘My research seeks to move beyond binary warfare by exploring a public theology of otherness that allows us to see the political opponent as a human being again.’
A public theology of otherness
According to De Melo Novais, ‘Brazil's political polarization is fundamentally a crisis of how we perceive and treat the other.’ He adds: ‘Human identity is not a solo project. We are both separate and bound together, meaning we need our relationships, even with those we dislike, to be fully ourselves.’
Drawing on the work of theologians Jürgen Moltmann and Miroslav Volf, his research introduces a theoretical framework described as a public theology of otherness. Central to this framework is the concept of hermeneutical hospitality.
‘Hermeneutical hospitality means trying to understand the world through someone else's way of understanding reality,’ De Melo Novais explains. ‘It invites us to work with political opponents as collaborators in democratic life rather than treating them as enemies.’
Relevance for Brazilian society
The research has particular relevance for Brazil, where 83% of the population identifies as Christian and may recognise the theological concepts discussed in the study. It also speaks to anyone whose personal relationships have been damaged by political hostility.
A practical application is the exchange of "hermeneutical gifts": entering public debate with the aim of recognising another person's humanity rather than winning an argument.
‘Instead of labelling a neighbour a “fascist” or a “communist”, we should try to understand the fears or values driving their position,’ says De Melo Novais. ‘A loving commitment to the opponent should precede ideological judgement.’
According to the research, this approach can help reduce symbolic violence and online outrage while strengthening democratic coexistence.
Research approach
The research followed an exploratory, qualitative design based entirely on bibliographical sources. It combined a critical historical analysis of Brazil's political developments since 2013 with an in-depth conceptual analysis of the writings of Jürgen Moltmann and Miroslav Volf.
In a final stage, the study reinterpreted the theologians' ideas in the context of contemporary Brazil. This process resulted in the development of a new theoretical framework, a public theology