Religion and Neoliberalism from the Periphery: Elements to Understand Conservatism in Brazil from The Large Evangelical Corporations of The State of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

Abstract

This article discusses the relationship between the discourse of evangelical churches and the production of conservative neoliberal political rationalities. We start from the premise that the Large Evangelical Corporations (in Brazil), operate within the neoliberal logic, and offer biographical solutions to social exclusion systems, indicating the individual and spiritual causes for poverty and suffering, while identifying the "deserving" of blessings, suggesting elevation through personal responsibility. In this turn, they merge self-entrepreneur individualism with rhetoric that interweaves elements of conservative communitarianism, such as tradition, naturalizing gender roles, and cultivating traditional family models, seen as key to rehabilitating the wider society. We hypothesize that, in the Brazilian case of the state of Rio de Janeiro, evangelical churches are central parts of this gear, acting as one of the main "resonance machines" (Connolly) of neoliberal policies, providing individualized solutions for structural systems of social exclusion, in a pedagogical, efficient and extensive manner. In this sense, this work benefits from fieldwork and interviews conducted in the state of Rio de Janeiro with its large evangelical churches.

Do Mixed Religions Make Families More Generous? An Empirical Analysis Based on a Large-Scale Survey of Chinese Families

“…It is pertinent to underscore that in the contemporary process of modernization, the quest for God's redemption or afterlife rewards no longer exclusively dictates individual religious belief choices. Rather, motivations encompass a pursuit of earthly rewards, psychological solace, and mental reassurance (Junior and Py 2024). Motivational differentials in religious choices give rise to variations in donation motivations, objectives, and modalities.…”