For many, coffee is a ritual, a way to start the day off right or those few minutes reserved for yourself in the middle of the rush GETTY IMAGES Just take a look at those shelves full of best-sellers in bookstores, right at the point where religious books touch on self-help. In that segment that editorial jargon usually classifies as "devotionals", there is no shortage of titles with the word "coffee". In the wake of the mega-successful editorial Café com Deus Pai — whose first edition, in 2023, placed evangelical pastor, theologian and writer Junior Rostirola as the best-selling Brazilian author of that year —, other writers aim for the same formula. On the shelves, there are titles such as Café with Our Lady, Café with Jesus, Café with the Saints, Café with the Women of the Bible, Café with God, Café with the Virgin Mary — and even Café with Exu, proving that the concept transcends Christianity. The idea, which starts from a simple concept, works. In everyday life, after all, "having a coffee" can be a synonym for an intimate meeting between people who get along well. At the same time, for many people, coffee is a ritual, a way to start the day off right or those few minutes reserved for themselves in the middle of the rush. Some still perceive the word "faith" as the second syllable of coffee. Almost a joke — the result of syncope, phonetic contraction, and elision common in colloquial language in which "com a fé" simply becomes "ca fé". But if the relationship between religiosity and the almost ubiquitous drink in Brazilian homes — according to a survey by the Brazilian Coffee Industry Association (Abic), the country is the second largest consumer of coffee, second only to the United States — was not always one of friendship. Coffee has already been demonized by Catholics. And to this day it is not welcomed by some Christian denominations. A brief history of coffee The oldest written records about coffee consumption date back to the second half of the 6th century, as explained by gastronome and historian Camila Landi, professor and coordinator of the Gastronomy Technology course at Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie. This is a report, with legendary contours, that a goat herder in Ethiopia noticed the effects on his animals of consuming the plant. "There are several versions, but most point to the study of the plant's effect on the animals that consumed it in the region", says the professor. According to an article on the history of the drink published by the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization, the pastor would have noticed "an atypical frenzy" in his flock. Roasting would have started much later. And already with hints of religiosity. Landi says that everything indicates that the practice began in the 14th century, "when monks threw the fruits into the fire because they found them too bitter." They ended up being surprised by the aroma. These religious people, it seems, would be from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, one of the oldest eastern dissenters of Christianity. "This is how the drink was born, resulting from this toasted fruit in contact with hot water", points out Landi. "Naturally, stories are told and legends have their versions, so similar ones coexist." Coffee would spread to other parts of Africa. In the 15th century, it began to be widely used by Sufi Muslims in Yemen, as a resource to stay awake during long night prayers. Soon, the Islamic world brought the drink into the debate. The Arabs, after all, already called it "qahwah" — hence the word coffee, in fact. The term means wine. Precisely because the stimulating properties of coffee were compared to those of an alcoholic drink, the consumption of which is prohibited by Muslims. But Islamic jurists of that time understood that coffee did not need to be banned. Because, unlike alcohol, it does not inebriate, it does not impair discernment — it maintains mental clarity in those who drink it. It seems that it was only in the 16th century that coffee would reach Europe, via Turkey — where the oldest records of coffee's presence date back to 1453. At that time, Christians were already taking a dim view of the drink consumed by the then adversaries of the faith in the Arab world. If they called it wine, it could only be the "devil's wine", the "drink of Satan", as the Europeans said. The drink would have arrived in the Western world around 1570, in Venice, an important trading post at the time. If some Christians tried that Arab "wine" and liked it, the issue evidently became a topic of debate in the once powerful Catholic world. In a story that mixes so much fact with legend, effects and faith, what stands out is what is said about Pope Clement 8th (1536-1605), who commanded the Church at the turn of the 16th to the 17th century. It is often said that he "baptized" the drink, which would then lose the status of being something "of the devil" and could then be consumed without guilt by Christians. Other narratives enrich the details of the story: in 1600, they would have brought him coffee, hoping for his verdict on whether or not it was a sin to drink it. The pope would have tried it and found it so good that, resignedly, he exclaimed that that wonder could not be restricted to infidels only. These versions are possibly anecdotes based on the real fact that the Catholic Church stopped opposing the consumption of coffee, opening the gates for its expansion in the Western world from the 17th century onwards. The Yale Center article recalls that, in a context in which people mostly consumed alcoholic beverages, the pope approving coffee was a way of helping "maintain the population's sobriety". A reference in the biographical synopses of the Church's supreme pontiffs, the book The Oxford Dictionary of Popes, by British theologian John Norman Davidson Kelly (1909-1997), does not address the sacral-coffee dispute during Clemente's administration. Best-seller Café com Deus Pai gave rise to several other books with similar themes Disclosure Prohibitions But in times of extreme religious control over social habits, coffee even aroused controversy in the religious sphere. "There are many signs", comments Landi. "Coffee was the target of many religious controversies. Historical records point to prohibitions and restrictions in various societies." "Even today, there are restrictions in some religions or occasions", adds the historian. In the Christian field, two cases stand out among the most emblematic. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, popularly known as the Church of Mormons, prohibits its followers from drinking coffee. The rule is contained in the book Doctrine and Covenants, a type of catechism of the denomination, where the so-called written revelations are found. by the creator of the church, the American Joseph Smith (1805-1844). On February 27, 1833, he wrote, contradicted by the fact that members of the church chewed tobacco during meetings: "the use of wine, strong drinks, tobacco and hot drinks is condemned." Mormons, spoke to BBC News Brasil and explained that the said revelation is an incentive for "people to take care of their physical body, so that they can be healthy and receive spiritual rewards, such as wisdom and knowledge". In this sense, the consumption of coffee would be part of "some behaviors" harmful to health. Also created in the United States, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has a similar stance. drink. Associate director of the church's health department for South America, biomedical doctor Lanny Cristina Burlandy Soares says that the guidance is clear but, "to understand it well" it is necessary to go back to the Bible. According to religious understanding, God created the human being in his image and likeness, entrusting him with a purpose. Taking care of it is an act of fidelity to God's original purpose", argues Soares. Hence, Adventists preach comprehensive health care. The biomedical doctor explains that, as caffeine has stimulating properties and "with regular use, it can cause dependence", there is a recommendation to avoid it. She recalls episodes from Islam and Catholicism in which coffee was also discussed. "In 1511, in Mecca, stricter sectors banned coffee with the argument that it contradicted the precepts of the Quran", he contextualizes. "When coffee arrived in Europe, in the 17th century, it faced similar resistance." "The Catholic Church viewed the drink with suspicion due to its Arab-Islamic origin and it was called 'the devil's wine' by sectors of the clergy", he recalls. "The turning point came with Pope Clement 8th. According to historical tradition, after tasting the coffee in person, the pontiff decided to 'baptize' it, making it acceptable to Christians. With this papal gesture, ecclesiastical resistance quickly gave way." Café com... Bestseller Junior Rostirola is not very fond of giving interviews, according to his press secretary. He agreed to respond in writing to the questions in the report. Rostirola was already well known for his work as pastor of the Reviver Church, based in Itajaí, Santa Catarina, when the first version of Café com Deus Pai exploded. The book of daily devotional messages transcended the evangelical milieu — it ended up becoming popular with Christians of all denominations. He likes coffee and explains that the title of the book came from the idea of ??a space in the rush to talk to God. "Coffee symbolizes a break, a moment of conversation, welcome and closeness", he emphasizes. "The idea has always been to convey the message that God wants to be present in our daily lives, not only in the big moments of life, but also in the small breaks in our routine." "I often say that the success of the book is not in the drink, but in what it represents. Coffee is part of Brazilian culture and is generally associated with moments of conversation, welcome and relationships. Within the project, it became a metaphor for this intentional pause before God. It is an invitation to slow down for a few minutes and allow Him to speak to our hearts. This is the essence of Café com Deus Pai", adds Rostirola. The theologian says he sees the coffee-religious phenomenon on book covers "naturally." "It is a symbol that is very present in people's lives and refers to welcoming, closeness and conversation. It is understandable that different authors use this language to communicate their messages", he points out. "I'm happy to see more people encouraging reading, reflection and devotional life. In the end, the most important thing is that lives are achieved and that people get closer to God", comments the author. Specialist in literary marketing and founder of a book promotion agency, journalist Lilian Cardoso remembers that every time a big bestseller appears "everyone wants to know the secret, the formula". "And Café com Deus Pai by pastor Junior Rostirola has already sold more than 10 million copies", highlights she, author of The Writer's Secret Book. The pastor of the Reviver Junior Church Rostirola was successful with his book Café com Deus Pai Divulgação For her, in addition to "the insight of the title", the success also needs to be attributed to the fame of the author, "who already had his audience" and his evangelical audience before publishing the work. But she recognizes that the emphasis on "moment with God, this daily reading thing" is the basis for the book becoming a bestseller. The numbers made other authors and publishers also want to grab a chunk of the segment. "Other projects and other publishers were surfing this wave of devotionals. This is a common thing in the book market", she analyzes. And sometimes the mention doesn't even need to be direct. Founder of Cabana Church, Bishop Jeiza Pontes, for example, has just launched the book Doses de Cura. It doesn't have coffee in the title, but it talks about doses, sips — because it also brings biblical messages in the form of small texts, small teachings. As the focus of the work is to help those with depression, she remembers that the title alludes to treatment. "Hardly a person is successful with a single dose. I imagined it exactly like that. Not a promise of 'read this and that's it'", he explains. The phenomenon is not restricted to Christianity. Psychologist Rubens Oliveira, for example, sought reflections in African-based religions for his Café com Exu. "The idea was to fill an editorial gap: the lack of works of self-knowledge and personal transformation based on references linked to Afro-Brazilian traditions", he explains. He says that he sought in the title the union of "two elements loaded with very strong symbolic meaning". Coffee would be "the meeting, the conversation, the break". Exu, in turn, is the orixá associated with "communication, paths, choices, movement and decision-making". "The title was not intended as a religious reference in the traditional sense, but a metaphor for a frank conversation about life", he summarizes. Psychologist Rubens Oliveira sought reflections in African-based religions for his book Café com Exu CREDIT, EDITORIAL PLANETA BRASIL/ DISCLOSURE Cafézinho com fé The resource is symbolic, of course. But the idea of ??coffee with religion works precisely because of the appeal that the coffee moment has in Brazilian culture. "The use of the word coffee in spirituality books does not happen by chance. There is a very strong cultural meaning that goes beyond the drink. It is in socialization, in conversation, in listening, in meeting and in the circulation of ideas", analyzes Oliveira. For the psychologist, in current times, marked by speed and excess information, the idea of ??a moment of pause in the day with the suggestion of availability, listening and reflection is seductive. Even with the restriction on coffee consumption, Adventist Soares says there are no problems with religious books with the drink in the title. For her, Adventists see "with genuine interest and admiration" the reach that such works have achieved. "To understand how Adventists read this phenomenon, it is useful to separate two planes. The first is that of spiritual content: the proposal of a daily devotion, of pausing to reflect and cultivating an intimate conversation with God is completely aligned with Adventist values", she argues. "Adventists have their own tradition of daily devotions and deeply value spirituality integrated into everyday life. The second plan is that of cultural metaphor. The coffee in the title of these books is not an endorsement of the drink, but a powerful image of welcome and intimate conversation. In Brazil, drinking coffee with someone is a gesture of affection and closeness. Using this metaphor to talk about the relationship with God is a sensitive and creative communicative choice, which Adventists recognize without needing to endorse the use of the drink." "Our position is simple: we warmly welcome any initiative that brings people closer to God and biblical reading", summarizes Soares. Where does what I drink come from: the special coffee that makes Brazil award-winning abroad