The growth of pentecostalism among quilombolas: For a sociology of the pentecostal presence in quilombola communities of alcântara (MA)

Abstract

Many studies debate the territorial expansion of the Alcântara launching base and the radical changes it causes to the quilombola communities that exist there. However, the present study focuses on an equally abrupt transformation, named: the conversion of these populations to the Pentecostalism. Based on a survey conducted with members from 16 villages, it was found that, in some groups, the number of evangelicals already exceeds other religious traditions; It was noticed the gradual replacement of popular roman Catholicism historically syncretized with Afri-can religions by a more radicalized Christianity which is the Pentecostalism; it was also detected the disappearance of part of the oral culture of these groups, such as: tales, legends, myths that wander the most different places in the region and the popular imagination. And finally, there were questions about the rules for common land use. It is concluded that Pentecostalism is part of the internal causes that, along with the external ones, are changing the cultural patterns of these groups.