Abstract

SIMONE, Aline Marie de; GALVAO, Ana Maria de Oliveira  and  SOUZA, Maria José Francisco de. Education through print: a study on the reformulation of the First Catechism of Christian Doctrine (1964). Rev. Diálogo Educ. [online]. 2025, vol.25, n.86, pp.1406-1422.  Epub Oct 24, 2025. ISSN 1981-416X.  https://doi.org/10.7213/1981-416x.25.086.ao02.

This article aims to analyze the edition of the Primeiro Catecismo da Doutrina Cristã (First Catechism of Christian Doctrine) published by the publishing house Vozes in 1964, which presents significant alterations compared to editions published in previous decades. It seeks to present evidence regarding the role the catechism played in forming its target audience. Catechisms are religious printed materials that have withstood the test of time with relative stability in relation to the content they convey and have served the purpose of disseminating the doctrines that underpin. Considering that this catechism had high print runs and a large number of editions, this study sought to understand the motivations for the changes undertaken and how, in a critical period of the history of the Catholic Church and Brazilian society itself, the catechism was adapted to new demands from the public and the publishing market. The research sources included 13 editions of the material published throughout the 20th century; magazines and newspapers available in the Digital Newspaper Library of the National Library of Rio de Janeiro; catalogs from the Vozes publishing house; and official documents resulting from Catholic councils and conferences. The analysis revealed several changes in materiality, mainly through the increase in the book's size, the presence of color illustrations, and the use of a simplified vocabulary; however, the questions and answers remained consistent over time, indicating a preference for tradition due to the success of the official text.

Keywords : History of reading; Printed texts; Catechisms.

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