Earl A. Pope Guest Lecture in World Christianity: Religious Conflict in Brazil, Professor Erika Helgen, Yale University

This lecture explores one of the greatest shocks to the Latin American religious system in its 500-year history: the transition from a hegemonically Catholic society to a religiously pluralistic society. The rise of religious pluralism in Brazil was fraught with conflict and violence, as Catholic bishops, priests, and friars organized intense campaigns against Protestantism. Public processions, preaching tours, rallies, and revival missions were meant to demonstrate Catholicism’s power in the public sphere and intimidate Protestants. At times, intimidation crossed over to violence, as Catholics threatened and attacked pastors, vandalized and burned down Protestant places of worship, and, in the most extreme cases, killed members of the Protestant faithful. These episodes of religious violence were not isolated outbursts of reactionary rage, but rather formed part of a longer process through which religious groups defined their relationship with Brazilian society and articulated their vision for Brazil’s national future.