Religion as the sword of the people: the “pentecostaharsh” mode of public presence of pentecostalism in Brazil and the upsurge of belligerent sensibilities

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22409/antropolitica.i.a56483

Keywords:

Pentecostalism, Public presence, Pentecostaharsh, Liberalism.

Abstract

This article aims to analyze how Pentecostals exercise their public presence in Brazil, claiming a leading role in determining the nation’s direction. This form of presence, which I call Pentecostaharsh, is mainly characterized by the establishment of confrontations. I then proceed to a recapitulation of public controversies opposing Pentecostal leaders (especially Pastor Silas Malafaia, the main evangelical opponent of social movements) and progressive sectors. The time frame ranges from 2010 – when Malafaia participated in in a television program debating a bill that would criminalize homophobia – to 2016 – the year of the election of Marcelo Crivella, a licensed bishop from the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, as mayor of Rio de Janeiro. I further argue that this mode of public presence is one of the reasons why we witness the resurgence of belligerent sensibilities in the Brazilian public sphere. However, I demonstrate how this intensification of public affections cannot be blamed exclusively on Pentecostalism, since the liberal framework itself and the consequent moral conformation of the public sphere are structural variables of the conflicts related to the contradictions inherent to its values and canons.

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Author Biography

Cleonardo Mauricio Junior, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Antropologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco

Pesquisador de Pós-Doutorado no Programa de Pós-Graduação em Antropologia da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. Doutor em Antropologia pela Universidade Federal de Pernambuco.

Published

2023-08-02

How to Cite

Junior, C. M. (2023). Religion as the sword of the people: the “pentecostaharsh” mode of public presence of pentecostalism in Brazil and the upsurge of belligerent sensibilities. Antropolítica - Revista Contemporânea De Antropologia. https://doi.org/10.22409/antropolitica.i.a56483

Issue

Section

Thematic Dossier