Saulo Cesar Ribeiro da Silva: 

“The message of Christ needs to be known, meditated
upon, felt and lived” 

The organiser of the project, The Gospel According to Emmanuel,
talks about the Centre of Gospel Studies and Research, known
by its Portuguese acronym, NEPE

	Saulo Cesar Ribeiro da Silva (photo) was born in a Spiritist family in the town of Ceres, in the Brazilian central state of Ceres. He lives in the country’s capital, Brasilia, where he works as a volunteer speaker at the local Spiritist Federation and coordinator of the project, The Gospel According to Emmanuel. He is also a member of the Centre of
Gospel Studies and Research (NEPE), gathering people from more than eight Spiritist Centres in Brasilia.

How was this study centre created? 

It had two distinct phases. The first one began at the end of 2011, when some members of the Spiritist Federation of the Federal District (Brasilia) felt the need to reinitiate their studies of the Gospel. We began meeting on Sundays. The group expanded and became what is now NEPE, gathering fellow Spiritists from many Groups in the region. 

What is the aim of the group and the profile of its members? 

The aim is to open space for dialogue, study and analysis of the teachings and examples of Jesus in the New Testament, along the lines of what Allan Kardec began with The Gospel According to Spiritism. We are also aimed at helping the group’s members achieve better understanding of the teachings of Jesus in the light of Spiritism. Such understanding cannot be restrained to theoretical knowledge, as we realise that the Gospel will only be fully understood when we are able to put into practice on our daily lives its messages. As Alcione says in Emmanuel’s Spiritist novel, Renuncia: “The message of Christ needs to be known, meditated upon, felt and lived.” We know that the cycle of interpretation of the teachings of Jesus will not be complete unless we put them into practice. We have another goal, which is to share our thoughts and analysis with other members of the Spiritist Movement. We have already organised two seminars to help disseminate our project. As for the profile of the group’s members, they are predominantly people who joined Spiritism at least three years ago. But that is not a pre-condition and our meetings are open to anyone who shows an interest. We meet for two hours on Sunday afternoon on the second and fourth Sundays of the month. 

What is your assessment of the quality of Spiritist Studies in general in Brazil? 

I make a very positive assessment. Until a few years ago, such studies tended to focus on mediumship and other issues concerning Spiritism. Those issues are important, but I am glad to se that we are going further, focusing also on the New Testament and the Gospel. That, in my opinion, puts us on the right track highlighted by Kardec when he talked about the triple aspect of Spiritistm science, philosophy and religion. Another very positive development is the used of the new communication technologies and social media, encouraging interaction, study and information sharing. And I have noticed a welcome development in the improvement of the dialogue with other religious denominations. I hope that continues to grow, as all religions must have peace, charity and fraternity in their core. 

What are the main challenges the group is facing? 

We are facing three types of challenges.

First there is a natural tendency from many people to get intimidated by anything new. They end up stifling the growth of new ideas. We need to be careful to avoid unwanted diversions, but we need to find the right balance.

The second challenge is to find the right methodology to meet the demands of each group. It is very important, therefore, to exchange ideas and experiences in order to find the right solution.

Thirdly, many of us still fail to put what we learn into practice, closing the learning cycle as mentioned by Kardec. This is not about a false dilemma between study and practice. When we talk about the Gospel, all forms of study must lead inevitably to practicing what we learn. The Gospel is the law of life and its study is fundamentally linked to our existence as individuals and as members of our society. 

What is the importance of Spiritist study groups like that one? 

Allan Kardec says very clearly in the introduction to The Gospel According to Spiritism: “Many points of the Gospels, the Bible and sacred authors in general are only incomprehensible, sometimes even apparently irrational, because they lack the key that will open their true meaning and that key is Spiritism.” This is a warning from Kardec about the role Spiritism has to play in rescuing the essence from the frist and second revelations but also an invitation for us to take the tools provided by Spiritism and used them to better understand Divine Law. 

What do you think the group will be able to achieve in the future? 

We expect to be able to encourage other Spiritist Centres to engage in similar study efforts, setting up a library, reference material and channels to exchange and disseminate the information. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount to his disciples: “You are the light of the world.” That prompts us to reflect upon the duty we have of spreading the light we bring inside ourselves. We had so many great examples on earth, including Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Francis of Assisi, Gandhi and, in Brazil, Chico Xavier, Divaldo and Irma Dulce. But there were many other great benefactors who remained anonymous. A doctor, nurse, a civil servant, a mother, a father or a son are also able to shine their light wherever they go. We know how much difference a small candle can make in the night. If we have many small candles lit up, we will be following what our Master Jesus taught us when he said: “Shine your light.”