Religião, ideologia e vida cotidiana: um estudo a partir do neopentecostalismo brasileiro

Abstract

The present study aims to analyze the function of religion as an ideological expression in the conduct of everyday life, taking as its object of investigation the main doctrinal elements of Neopentecostalism preached through the so-called Prosperity Theology. The analysis is grounded in historical-dialectical materialism in order to apprehend the religious phenomenon in connection with its socioeconomic determinations throughout the development of humanity, especially drawing on the contributions of Lukácsian ontology. Religion is therefore understood as a form of human estrangement whose origin lies in the social division of labor, reverberating in a contradictory manner in the process of human personality formation. In capitalist sociability, personality is determined primarily by the reification and mystification of social being, providing the basis for religion to position itself as an ideological guide for individuals in relation to how they think, feel, act, and organize their everyday lives. In this context, and seeking further to investigate how the doctrinal foundations of Neopentecostalism serve as practical guidance for the formation of values, behaviors, and ways of thinking among its followers, the research employed observation of worship services held at the headquarters of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais. Through the analysis of meetings known as the Congress for Success, we discuss the main doctrinal elements of Prosperity Theology that are anchored in neoliberal ideals, such as individualism, entrepreneurship, and satisfaction through consumption as paths to spiritual and social ascension and liberation. Thus, we argue that the capacity of neopentecostal churches to establish themselves as a socially ascendant religious ideology is sustained by the assimilation of their doctrine to the prevailing economic determinations of contemporary capitalism, in connection with the needs and aspirations present in individuals’ everyday lives, ultimately marked by the intensification of modes of exploitation and reification and, consequently, by the heightened fetishization of the human personality.