# How Evangelical Christianity Fuelled the Radical Right In Brazil | Interview with Petra Costa Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLT65wVd8uI Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/PLT65wVd8uI Generated: 2025-07-21T19:36:08.996+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Evangelical Christianity significantly fueled the radical right in Brazil, proving crucial for Jair Bolsonaro's election, with 70% of evangelicals voting for him in 2022. This alliance stems from a premillennialist theology that seeks to accelerate chaos for Jesus's return, combined with the evangelical church's rapid growth due to its decentralized structure, prosperity theology, and role in providing social services and political formation in unequal urban areas. **Key Points:** - Evangelical support was crucial for Jair Bolsonaro's election, with 70% of evangelicals voting for him in 2022, the highest percentage among any socio-political segment. - The alliance between evangelical Christianity and the radical right is partly driven by a premillennialist theology, where some fundamentalists believe accelerating chaos brings Jesus's return faster; one pastor explicitly stated he voted for Bolsonaro because "Bosanaru is bringing chaos... that's good because the faster things get into the apocalypse, the faster Jesus will return." - The evangelical church's rapid growth in Brazil, from 5% to over 30% of the population in 40 years, is attributed to its less hierarchical structure allowing quick church openings, the appeal of prosperity theology, and its role in providing social services and community in rapidly urbanizing, unequal areas. - Evangelical pastors actively engage in political formation and personal coaching, telling young people they will be "judges, the Supreme Court justices, the presidents of tomorrow," filling a void left by diminished progressive grassroots movements. - Protecting democracy in Brazil and globally requires a clear understanding that the separation of church and state is under attack, necessitating urgent mechanisms to control religious leaders' influence in political campaigns. - Despite the strong alignment, millions of evangelical followers are unhappy with their leaders' political sermons, and progressive evangelical pastors face persecution, such as one pastor expelled for not voting for Bolsonaro. - The Brazilian courts, initially seen as malign in "The Edge of Democracy" due to the "Car Wash" operation and judicial coup, underwent self-criticism after leaks exposed Judge Moro's conspiracy to imprison Lula, leading them to play a more positive role in limiting Bolsonaro's power. **Context:** Oscar-nominated director Petra Costa's new film, "Apocalypse in the Tropics," explores the profound connection between the evangelical church and Brazil's radical right, following her previous film, "The Edge of Democracy," which documented the judicial coup against Dilma Rousseff and Lula. Costa, a Brazilian, began investigating this link after encountering a pastor in Congress, seeking to understand how faith became a mobilized political force in a country whose future, including the Amazon, impacts global ecosystems. The film culminates with the 2022 presidential election, where Lula returned to power, and the subsequent January 6-style coup attempt by Brazil's right. ## Detailed Analysis Petra Costa's film "Apocalypse in the Tropics" reveals how evangelical Christianity became a critical force behind Brazil's radical right, particularly in supporting Jair Bolsonaro. Evangelical support was crucial for Bolsonaro's election, securing 70% of their vote in 2022, the highest among any segment. This alliance is deeply rooted in a specific theological interpretation: premillennialism, which, as radicalized by some fundamentalists, suggests accelerating global chaos will hasten Jesus's return. Costa interviewed a pastor who explicitly stated he voted for Bolsonaro because the chaos he brought would speed up the apocalypse and Christ's second coming. The rapid growth of evangelicalism in Brazil, from 5% to over 30% of the population in 40 years, is attributed to its less hierarchical structure, allowing pastors to quickly establish churches in remote or urban favela areas where traditional institutions struggle. Furthermore, prosperity theology, which aligns with neoliberalism by promoting wealth accumulation as non-sinful, appeals to many. The evangelical church also fills a crucial social void, providing community, social services, and powerful political and personal coaching, telling young congregants they will be future leaders. Costa argues that this influence poses a significant threat to democracy, emphasizing the urgent need to protect the separation of church and state and control religious leaders' political influence. While the film highlights the malign influence, it also acknowledges internal dissent among evangelicals and the persecution faced by progressive pastors who do not align with the far-right political vision. Costa notes a shift in the Brazilian courts, which, after self-criticism following revelations of judicial misconduct in the "Car Wash" operation, now play a more positive role in safeguarding democracy against authoritarian tendencies. Ultimately, Costa views democracy as a living, self-regulating entity, but warns that the global rise of the far-right, fueled by public disillusionment with failing democracies and neoliberalism, necessitates a systemic fix to restore healthy democracies. ### Film Overview and Director's Motivation - Petra Costa's "Apocalypse in the Tropics" explores the evangelical church's role in Brazil's radical right, following her Oscar-nominated "The Edge of Democracy" - Costa, a Brazilian, was driven to understand the mobilization of faith for political reasons after a pastor evangelized her in Congress - The film climaxes with the 2022 election and the January 6-style coup attempt, highlighting Brazil's importance due to the Amazon. ### Evangelical Support for Bolsonaro - Evangelical support was crucial for Bolsonaro's election, particularly among the working class - 70% of evangelicals voted for Bolsonaro in 2022, the highest percentage of any socio-political segment - Prominent evangelical leaders remain aligned with Bolsonaro and the far right. ### Theological Roots of Political Alignment - The alliance with the right is linked to premillennialism, a theology where some fundamentalists believe accelerating chaos hastens Jesus's return - A pastor interviewed by Costa explicitly stated he voted for Bolsonaro because "Bosanaru is bringing chaos... that's good because the faster things get into the apocalypse, the faster Jesus will return" - This "end times theology" is also prevalent among Trump's allies in the US. ### Factors Driving Evangelical Growth in Brazil - The evangelical church grew from 5% to over 30% of Brazil's population in 40 years, one of the fastest religious shifts in history - Less hierarchy allows pastors to quickly open churches in remote or urban areas, unlike the Catholic Church - Prosperity theology, which aligns with neoliberalism, promotes wealth accumulation as non-sinful - The church provides social services, a sense of belonging, and "family" to Brazilians migrating to unequal cities and favelas. ### Evangelical Influence and Grassroots Power - Evangelical pastors play a significant role in political formation and personal coaching - Pastor Malafaia tells young congregants, "You will be the generation that will change the world. You're going to be the judges, the Supreme Court, justices, the presidents of tomorrow" - Most grassroots work in Brazil is now done by evangelical pastors, filling a void left by diminished progressive movements. ### Threats to Democracy and Proposed Solutions - The evangelical church's influence is portrayed as a "malign influence" supporting Bolsonaro's anti-democratic tendencies - Protecting democracy requires a clear understanding that the separation of church and state is under attack - Urgent mechanisms are needed to control religious leaders' influence in political campaigns. ### Internal Dissent and Judicial Self-Correction - Millions of evangelical followers are unhappy with their leaders' political sermons - Progressive evangelical pastors face persecution, with some expelled for not aligning politically - The Brazilian courts, initially seen as malign in "The Edge of Democracy," underwent self-criticism after leaks exposed judicial misconduct, leading them to play a more positive role in limiting Bolsonaro's power. ### Future of Brazilian Politics and Global Context - Brazilian politics remains unpredictable, but the far-right has a "strong wind blowing" globally - This global trend is fueled by a widespread feeling that democracy and neoliberalism are failing - A "fix in the system globally" is necessary to restore healthy democracies.