Candomblé and Brazilian spirituality
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the history of Candomblé and understand some of the ways it is practised.
Key learning points
- Candomblé is an Afro-Brazilian religion, shaped by Indigenous beliefs and Catholic influence.
- It developed as spiritual survival during enslavement, blending Orisha worship with Catholic practices.
- Despite oppression and legal bans, Candomblé endured through oral tradition, music, and ritual.
- Through divination, priestesses seek messages from the Orishas to guide people through life’s challenges and decisions.
- The faith honours connection - to nature, ancestors, and the divine.
Keywords
Ancestors - a family member from the past who has died, believed to offer guidance and protection
Divination - a practice for understanding spiritual guidance and finding one's Orisha
Nation - a branch or denomination within Candomblé
Orishas - a divine ancestor or spirit; intermediaries between humans and the supreme god, Oludumaré
Common misconception
Candomblé always embraces Catholic elements.
Candomblé is an ancient African faith shaped by enslavement. While some include Catholic elements for tradition or protection, many focus purely on African roots. It’s a living, evolving religion adapting to each generation’s needs.
Teacher tip
Several videos and images of drumming and the Yemanjá festival are available online to enhance this section of the lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Match the keyword to its meaning.
a faith perspective that highlights women’s strength
the ability to recover from difficulty and keep moving forward
continuing to live and push forward despite racism and oppression
Q2.What inspired the term “womanist”?
Q3.What key theme is central to womanist theology?
Q4.What did Delores S. Williams do after becoming a single mother?
Q5.Liberation always means escaping suffering.
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Match each key word to its correct meaning.
a divine ancestor or spirit that links humans and the divine
a family member from the past who is believed to offer guidance
a practice for understanding spiritual guidance
a branch or denomination within Candomblé
Q2.Many people in Brazil today blend Candomblé with practices.
Q3.Candomblé is rooted in traditions brought by enslaved people.
Q4.What does Candomblé mean?
Q5.Candomblé always includes Catholic elements.
To help you plan your 9 religious education lesson on: Candomblé and Brazilian spirituality, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 religious education lesson on: Candomblé and Brazilian spirituality, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 religious education lessons from the Christianity: how have the experiences of the Global South shaped it? unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.