Marco,

"Evangelical Protestantism has almost certainly replaced Roman Catholicism as Brazil's most widely practiced faith. The significance of this goes beyond theology: The old Brazilian order, based upon a rigid hierarchy and social immobility, has broken down. A new social atmosphere, one more flexible and more compatible with capitalism and democracy, is emerginG Upwardly striving urban poor are encouraged by religious teachings and support groups that preach the power of individuals to change their lives through faith. This contrasts sharply with the old attitude of resignation to one's fate and a glorification of poverty. The potential is quite literally revolutionary--more so than Fidel Castro or Che Guevara could ever be."¹

o

"Brazil, whose population now exceeds 150 million and is growing by 3 million a year, is gripped today by a remarkable religious fervor that ignores the nation's Roman Catholic traditions and centers on an evangelical Protestantism."²

o

"The present wave of Pentecostal growth dates from the 1950s, when U.S. missionary groups channeled new energies into Latin America after the communists drove them from mainland China. The new churches prospered not by good works, as had Methodists and Presbyterians in previous missionary efforts, but by proselytizing in Brazil's mushrooming cities, and especially in the grinding poverty of the favelas.³

That's the striking thing about this phenomenon: It's a bottom-up thing, spreading spontaneously among the poor rather than coming down to them from privileged intellectuals. You don't find many churches in Ipanema, the posh stretch of Rio beachfront, or in Jardins, a Sao Paulo district with gleaming bank buildings and drive-through McDonald's restaurants that seems more like westside Los Angeles than South America. "⁴

"Will the spread of evangelical Protestantism lay the cultural foundation for the economic and social transformation of a society that is semicapitalist and semifeudal, as it did long ago in northern Europe? The possibility cannot be dismissed. The specific Pentecostal message focuses overwhelmingly on an individual's decision to accept Christ as personal savioR But with this message comes an emphasis on individual responsibility and sacrifice that is highly compatible with capitalism, free enterprise, a thoroughly decentralized society."⁵

1 J Marcoms, ‘ The fire down south’, Forbes 146 (15/10/1990), 56

2 J Marcoms, ‘ The fire down south’, Forbes 146 (15/10/1990), 56

3 J Marcoms, ‘ The fire down south’, Forbes 146 (15/10/1990), 56

4 J Marcoms, ‘ The fire down south’, Forbes 146 (15/10/1990), 56

5 J Marcoms, ‘ The fire down south’, Forbes 146 (15/10/1990), 56