Beschreibung:
This paper discusses the practise of rites of passage in Lutheran communities in Serra dos Tapes, a southern region in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The main rites hence elucidated are Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage and Burial, distinguishing the ruptures and changes in social and religious context of the individuals analysed. The rites of passage are going to be conceptually based on the field of Anthropology (Rodolpho, 2004). The main focus of the study is on the rite of Confirmation, which, linked to the Protestant ethic (Weber, 2004), resulted in early school evasion in order for the individuals to dedicate to work, since Church teachings proclaimed work evaluation as substantial for human development.