Expansão pentecostal no Brasil: o caso da Igreja Universal

Abstract

O ARTIGO discorre inicialmente sobre o crescimento pentecostal e a evolução desse movimento religioso no Brasil. Em seguida, analisa a expansão da Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus, priorizando a investigação da organização eclesiástica, do trabalho pastoral, da capacidade de arrecadação e administração dos recursos coletados, do evangelismo eletrônico, da oferta sistemática de serviços mágico-religiosos e do sincretismo deliberado com a religiosidade popular.<br>THIS ESSAY deals initially with the growth of the Pentecostal movement and its evolution in Brazil. It also analyzes the expansion of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, prioritizing the study of its ecclesiastical organization, pastoral work, collection capabilities and management of resources thus obtained, electronic evangelism, the systematic offering of magical/religious services, and the deliberate syncretism with popular religiousness

Infant mortality and mothers' religious involvement in Brazil

“…Although traditional Protestants began growing in numbers in Brazil during the nineteenth century, Pentecostal Protestantism is a twentieth-century phenomenon, as it first arrived in Brazil in 1911 (ALVES; NOVELLINO, 2006;MARIANO, 2004;DECOL, 1999). Among other factors, it has been characterized by the workings of the Holy Spirit as manifested in the gifts of healing, prophecy, and the speaking of tongues.…”

“…Pentecostal Protestants were first represented by the Assemblies of God, and later by other churches, such as the Foursquare Gospel Church (1951), Brazil for Christ (1955), andGod Is Love (1962). More recently, during the 1970s and 1980s, neoPentecostal churches 1 emerged in Brazil, led by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (MARIANO, 2004). …”

“…Neo-Pentecostal churches also differ from traditional Pentecostals through what is known as prosperity theology (MARIANO, 2004), which teaches that material and spiritual blessings are connected. Following this theology, neo-Pentecostal churches provide services that focus on financial prosperity and social mobility.…”

“…In his book about the Pentecostal boom in Brazil, Andrew Chesnut (1997) explains that Pentecostal Protestantism enjoyed overwhelming success in appealing to the poor based on the idea of a positive transformation for this group. Believers, for instance, cannot claim to be fully converted until they have completely abandoned practices such as alcohol consumption, gambling, and pre-or extra-marital sex (MARIANO, 2004;BURDICK, 1993).…”

“…Among the changes associated with this process of religious transformation, the growth of Protestantism has attracted special attention: the Protestant population increased in Brazil from three percent in 1940 to fifteen percent in 2000 (IBGE, 2007;MARIANO, 2004). This growth, however, has not been gradual; it was largely concentrated in the 1990s, a decade that experienced an explosive increase in the number of people converting to Protestantism, led by the Pentecostal Protestant denominations.…”