Transfer of Symbolic Power

religious “coronelismo” in the Assemblies of God in Brazil

Authors

  • Maicon Cunha Gomes UNIVERSIDADE DO ESTADO DO PARÁ - UEPA
  • Saulo de Tarso Cerqueira Baptista Doctorate in Religious Studies from the Methodist University of São Paulo (UMESP)
  • Adriane dos Prazeres Silva Doctorate in History from the Federal University of Pará (UFPA)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22478/ufpb.1982-6605.2025v22n1.74470

Abstract

This article analyzes the dynamics of power and succession within the Assemblies of God in Brazil, presenting the transformation from a congregational model to a structure of episcopalism centralized in the figure of the pastor-president. The objective is to understand how this organizational shift facilitates the transfer of symbolic power between leaders and their successors, frequently family members, contributing to the consolidation of personal power projects. The adopted methodology is qualitative, based on bibliographic research drawing upon authors such as Weber, Bourdieu, and Leal. The study reveals that practices such as nepotism, patrimonialism, and clientelism are employed within religious dynamics, in analogy to traditional political "coronelismo" (colonelism), to reproduce power and influence in the ecclesiastical and political fields. It concludes that such strategies favor the symbolic manipulation of faith for electoral purposes, characterizing the phenomenon termed by LEAL (2012) as "voto de cajado" (shepherd's crook vote).

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Author Biographies

Saulo de Tarso Cerqueira Baptista, Doctorate in Religious Studies from the Methodist University of São Paulo (UMESP)

Doctorate in Religious Studies at the Methodist University of São Paulo (Brazil, 2007). Postdoctorate in Sociology of Religion at the University of Beira Interior (Portugal, 2017). Former Associate Professor at the State University of Pará (UEPA), with exclusive dedication and teaching experience in the Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes in Religious Studies, retiring in February 2024. Holds a Master's degree in Social Sciences (Sociology) from the Federal University of Pará (2002), a Bachelor's degree and Licentiate in Social Sciences (1999) and a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering (1975), all from the same university. He has academic experience in the fields of Religious Studies and Political Science, with a focus on public space, Brazilian political culture, democracy, Protestantism, Pentecostalism, neo-Pentecostalism, ecumenism, interreligious dialogue and religious fundamentalism.

Adriane dos Prazeres Silva, Doctorate in History from the Federal University of Pará (UFPA)

Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education (DFCS) at the State University of Pará (UEPA – CCSE Campus, Belém). Faculty member of the Graduate Programme in Religious Studies at UEPA and head of the research line “Social Movements, Popular Education and Labour in the Amazon",” which is part of the research group “Amazonas: History, Cultures and Identities” She holds a PhD and a Master's degree in Social History from the Graduate Programme in Social History of the Amazon (PPHIST) at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA – Belém Campus), where she was also a substitute professor. Specialist in environmental education and the use of water resources at the Integrated University Brasil Amazônia (2013). Holds a Bachelor's degree and a Licentiate in History from the Federal University of Pará (2011) and a degree in Natural Sciences with qualification in Biology from the State University of Pará (2010). Researcher on social conflicts in the Amazon region, specialising in agrarian history in the state of Pará. Has academic experience in history and natural sciences, specialising in biology. Member of two research groups: “Military Governments in the Amazon: Between Memory and History” and “Military History and Borders”

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Published

2025-08-27

How to Cite

CUNHA GOMES, Maicon; BAPTISTA, Saulo de Tarso Cerqueira; SILVA, Adriane dos Prazeres. Transfer of Symbolic Power: religious “coronelismo” in the Assemblies of God in Brazil. Religare, [S. l.], v. 22, n. 1, 2025. DOI: 10.22478/ufpb.1982-6605.2025v22n1.74470. Disponível em: https://periodicos.ufpb.br/index.php/religare/article/view/74470. Acesso em: 26 jun. 2026.

Issue

Vol. 22 No. 1 (2025): Religare ( jan. a dez. - Fluxo Contínuo)

Section

Artigos Nacionais

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