Theoretical Appliqué and Comparative Contextualization in Cristina Rocha’s John of God / Bordado teórico e contextualização comparativa no livro John of God, de Cristina Rocha

This article examines two conceptual strategies in Cristina Rocha's book on John of God: theoretical appliqué, which uses an eclectic set of concepts to generate partial interpretations without a unified theory, and comparative contextualization, which places the movement within its religious landscape. The author argues that while the book could have pushed both strategies further, theoretical appliqué is valuable for respecting complexity and indicating multiple interpretive pathways. The article aims to highlight the merits of theoretical appliqué and suggest how it can be done effectively.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This article looks at two sorts of conceptual work in Cristina Rocha’s John of God: The Globalization of Brazilian Faith Healing (2017): theoretical appliqué and comparative contextualization. The first involves using an ad hoc set of concepts to set out series of partial interpretations. Despite not offering one unified interpretation, this approach has the advantages of respecting the complexity of the case and indicating a range of relevant interpretative pathways. The second involves the standard work, in the study of religion, of placing the religious movement or other object of study in relation to its religious landscape, influences and competitors, by comparing and contrasting beliefs and practices. Though the book would be better if both of these dimensions of conceptual work had been pushed further, Rocha’s theoretical appliqué is worth considering for its value as a model for other work. The goal of this article is to highlight the value of theoretical appliqué and to suggest how it could be done effectively.