On June 8, the Humanitas360 Institute held the 12th edition of the Difficult Conversations series, under the theme “Is Gospel Art Really Art?” Moderated by anthropologist Juliano Spyer, the event brought together writer Miguel Del Castillo, documentary filmmaker Miguel Salvador, and singer-songwriter Sarah Renata at the CIVI-CO auditorium, in a panel spanning cinema, music, and literature.
Author of the novel “Cancún”, Miguel Del Castillo rejected the gospel literature label for his work, arguing that good literature operates in a gray area — without smoothing out the rough edges or trying to organize the complexity of life. In his view, didactic art in the service of conversion pays a high price in quality and honesty.
Miguel Salvador, for his part, preferred the Portuguese word evangelho over the English-derived gospel, and proposed that relevant Christian art need not be limited to religious vocabulary or settings, nor does it need to be proselytizing. He also pointed to a structural tension: the church is “the great mother of Brazilian artists,” offering shelter and the basic tools to create — but it often holds those artists back and keeps them from engaging with the wider world.
Finally, Sarah Renata offered the perspective of someone who lived through that transition: she started in gospel music but felt her creativity was constrained, since she had other themes to explore and her life didn’t revolve solely around the church. Moving toward Brazilian popular music (MPB) wasn’t about leaving her faith behind, but about finding space for her full experience and musicality.
The event was streamed live on the H360 YouTube channel and remains available to watch:
