Avanço neopentecostal no futebol brasileiro: análise sócio–antropológica acerca das relações entre religião, futebol e espaço público no Brasil

Abstract

This text deals with the relationship between religion, football and public space in Brazil. Specifically, it is about a certain aspect of the Brazilian religious field, i.e. the evangelical field, and particularly the Neo-Pentecostal one and its appearance and spread in sports, mainly football. By using data taken from doctoral research, it will be possible to demonstrate, without claiming to be exhaustive, that there is a spread of evangelicalism in football which is making this religious movement grow out of the status of a «peripheral or marginal religion for Brazilians» (Carvalho, 1999, p. 3), and turning it into a «dominant» religion almost as important as Catholicism, with regard to the world of football. Moreover, this text will try to show that, with reference to the group called Athletes of Christ, the interest in evangelicalism in the field of sports is not a recent phenomenon but it traces its origins to the heritage of Muscular Christianity, which dates back to the Victorian Age (1837-1901). Finally, this text aims to stimulate reflection on a fundamental contemporary theme, i.e. the phenomenon of religion in public space.