Transforming Pentecostalism in Brazil: Australian Megachurches, Mobility, Media and Materiality

Weekly internal seminar by Cristina Rocha, Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Religion and Society Research Cluster, Western Sydney University.

Communication discussed by Stefania Capone, directrice de recherche CNRS au Centre d'études en sciences sociales du religieux (CESOR, EHESS).

Presentation

This research project analyses how Pentecostalism is being transformed in Brazil due to the arrival of “cool” Australian megachurches such as Hillsong. These megachurches cater to the upper middle-class youth, while in Brazil Pentecostalism is traditionally found among the poor people. The project argues that these megachurches give upper middle-class Brazilians a sense of belonging to a global, affluent, and successful community, and thus they work locally as a social-distinction mechanism for this population.