Between Christian Promises and Paradoxes in Dom Casmurro by Machado de Assis

Abstract

The Bible went beyond the walls of theology and invaded the world of literature, lending its characters and themes to diverse literary works around the world. However, the use of biblical texts in other realms beyond doctrinal interpretations has raised criticism, both from hermeneutists who wished to lock the Bible within its institutional hermeneutic stronghold and from scholars who refused to recognize the value of biblical texts for literature. In this article, starting with Dom Casmurro by Machado de Assis, the importance of the literary approach will be analyzed as a means of interfacing with the biblical texts and the challenges of this endeavor, surrounded by prejudices and criticisms, but one that expands the field of possibilities for understanding the Bible.