Religious conflicts in the political arena: the case of Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

The 2002 elections confirmed the growth of evangelical presence in the battle for political posts in the State of Rio de Janeiro, and revealed that various sectors of this religious tradition are moving towards the parties of the left. Although the growing participation of the evangelicals in Brazilian politics had already called the attention of social scientists, there are relatively few studies on the reaction of other religious and/or political groups to this phenomenon. The objective of this article is to analyze specifically the catholic reaction. The analysis of political statements in general, but especially those made by catholic politicians, on the electoral strength of the evangelicals, as well as research into electoral propaganda for candidates who identified themselves as Catholics, revealed a variety of reactive discourses. The reaction varied from a generic questioning of the legitimacy of involving religion in politics, to criticism and confrontation specifically aimed at the activities of the IURD.