Twelfth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

Evangelicalism - particularly Pentecostalism - has been rapidly proliferating globally. In Brazil and elsewhere, this coincides with the rise of extreme conservatism and even violence. Brazilian Pentecostals are currently engaged in an intense religious conflict against Afro-Brazilian religions. Militant Pentecostals attack Afro-Brazilian religions from the pulpits, in the media, and on the streets. The global megachurch the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG), is perhaps most accused of spreading hate and promoting violence against these (and other) vulnerable religions. This is because the UCKG uses its extensive media holdings to publicly demonize Afro-Brazilian beliefs and practices. Why is this happening? While there are various motivations involved, I posit that a dualist rhetoric of cosmic war is a significant contributor to the violence. Church leaders espouse narratives of good-versus-evil that support their own intolerant acts while aiding adherents in generating and justifying violence on the ground. Afro-Brazilian religions are targeted not because Pentecostals believe they are false, but partly because they are thought to have real spiritual power that must be confronted in battle. Drawing on fieldwork in Brazil, I will link beliefs surrounding cosmic war to the intolerance being carried out by the UCKG and militant Pentecostals throughout Brazil. Crucially, Pentecostal militancy and religious narratives about cosmic war extend far beyond Brazil into Latin America, Sub-Saharan African, and elsewhere. As such, many elements of this local conflict are part of a greater global trend in which religious extremists embrace a language of war to aggressively undermine tolerance and pluralism.