Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English en
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Is God a nationalist? How Christian Political Realignment in Brazil Can Help Us Understand the Development of Far-right Governmentality in the World.

Objective

Religious-political ties have gained prominence globally. In Brazil, Evangelical churches were key to electing far-right president Jair Bolsonaro in 2018. Yet Evangelical support does not always align with the right in this country. The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG)—Brazil’s most influential Evangelical denomination—was once a close ally of the leftist Workers’ Party before becoming part of Bolsonaro’s base. While scholars have examined Evangelical alignment with far-right politics, less is known about how these shifts are experienced inside church communities. In my earlier research, I found that the UCKG’s endorsement of Bolsonaro coincided with internal changes. A notable case was the Raabe Project, a women’s ministry once known for helping victims of domestic violence, which was reoriented to focus on the “spiritual side” of abuse. Soon after, church leaders discouraged all social activism. These changes raise questions about how political realignment transforms religious life. My MSCA project Is God a Nationalist? explores the UCKG’s changing political trajectory and its impact on believers. Rather than seeing Evangelicals as a unified bloc led by institutional elites, the project focuses on how political engagement emerges from everyday practices, community life, and sensorial experience. Brazil offers a unique case: Evangelical affiliation grew from 6% to 22% since 1989—the year Brazilians first voted for president after the dictatorship.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

This project has not yet been classified with EuroSciVoc.
Be the first one to suggest relevant scientific fields and help us improve our classification service

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
Net EU contribution
€ 276 187,92
Address
OLD COLLEGE, SOUTH BRIDGE
EH8 9YL Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Region
Scotland Eastern Scotland Edinburgh
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
No data