Evangelicalism & Brazil: The religious movement that spread through a national team

It’s not only in football that evangelicals have grown in number and power in Brazil. It’s also in politics.

Far-right president Jair Bolsonaro won the 2018 elections with the support of almost 70% of the evangelical community, including football stars like Neymar and Rivaldo.

Bolsonaro, who was born into a Catholic family and later re-baptised in the Jordan river by an evangelical pastor, promised to appoint a Supreme Court judge who was “terribly evangelical”. And he has delivered.

When in December 2021 Andre Mendonca, an attorney and evangelical pastor, was confirmed for the role, a video of first lady Michele Bolsonaro shouting ‘Glory to God’ and speaking in tongues went viral.

While acting as attorney general, Mendonca had used verses from the Bible to defend the reopening of churches during the Covid-19 pandemic. He said his appointment was, “one small step for man, one giant step for evangelicals”.

The evangelical expansion in politics can be traced back to 1986, when a rumour that Brazil was considering making Catholicism its only official religion started to spread. That year, 32 evangelical federal deputies were elected. Now there are 105 such deputies, as well as 15 senators.

It’s not unusual to find some of them holding services at the Chamber of Deputies. When former leader Dilma Rousseff was impeached in 2016, 58 legislators dedicated their vote to God.

Critics link evangelicalism in politics with a strengthening of the conservative agenda and a rise in intolerance that does not leave room for those of other religious beliefs, especially those of African origin, to express themselves.

While Bolsonaro’s national approval rating recently dropped to 22%, with the next presidential elections set for 2 October, many evangelical footballers like Neymar remain loyal and are seen as playing a key role in boosting his appeal.

Former Brazil international Walter Casagrande, now a pundit, has criticised the Paris St-Germain forward, claiming he’s become Bolsonaro’s “vassal”.

So when Bayer Leverkusen striker Paulinho scored for Brazil in a 4-2 win over Germany at last year’s Olympic Games, it was interesting to note his celebration.

Taking a stand against religious persecution, the 21-year-old made the gesture of an archer in homage to Oxossi, his orixa (a spirit deity) in the Candomble religion.

A mixture of traditional Yoruba, Fon and Bantu beliefs originating from different regions in Africa, Candomble has long been practised in Brazil, in the past often in secret. Even now it still comes under occasional attack from radical evangelicals, who regard the religion to be satanic.

But Paulinho seemed determined to remind others back home that there is still room for all religions in Brazil – and in the national team.