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For more information, please contact the WRAP Team at: [email protected] warwick.ac.uk/lib-publications The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in Madrid: a church without borders by Leonardo Vasconcelos de Castro Moreira A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology University of Warwick, Department of Sociology January 2019 Table of Contents Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………………….……..6 DECLARATION…………………………………………………………………………….…...7 ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………………..…..8 KEYWORDS…………………………………………………………………………………..…8 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………..9 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THE WAVES OF BRAZILIAN PENTECOSTALISM …………………………………………………………………….........13 2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…13 2.2 HYPOTHESIS………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……..22 2.3 THE THREE WAVES OF BRAZILIAN PENTECOSTALISM………………………………………………………...26 2.3.1 THE FIRST WAVE OF BRAZILIAN PENTECOSTALISM…………………………………………………..……..26 2.3.2 THE SECOND WAVE OF BRAZILIAN PENTECOSTALISM………………………………………………..……28 2.3.3 THE THIRD WAVE OF BRAZILIAN PENTECOSTALISM AND THE BEGINNING OF THE UCKG…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…31 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY: A STRANGER IN THE NEST………………….…..….36 3.1 THE CHOICE OF MADRID……………………………………………………………………………………………….…..37 3.2 DISCOURSE ANALYSIS……………………………………………………………………………………………………..….38 3.3 FIELDWORK AND INTERVIEWS…………………………………………………………………………………………...39 3.4 LIMITS………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..41 CHAPTER 4: UCKG TRANSNATIONALISM: A CHURCH OF CONTROVERSIES ARRIVES IN SPAIN………………………………………………………………………..….43 4.1 INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…..43 4.2 UCKG TRANSNATIONALISM: A CHURCH WITHOUT GEOGRAPHICAL BORDERS…………..……...44 4.3 UCKG MEDIA: A WORLDWIDE STRATEGY………………………………………………………………………..….48 4.4 ARRIVAL IN SPAIN: A CHURCH OF CONTROVERSIES……………………………………………..…………....52 2 CHAPTER 5: MAGICAL PRACTICES AND RELIGIOUS ROUTINES: BETWEEN TRADITION AND MODERNITY……………………………………………………….….....62 5.1 INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………62 5.2 THE MAGICAL ELEMENTS OF THE UCKG IN MADRID: ENTERING THE CHURCH…………………..62 5.3 THE STRATIFICATION OF MEMBERS AND THE CHURCH HIERARCHY……………………………………65 5.4 THE STRUCTURE AND DIVISION OF SERVICES………………………………………………………………..……71 5.4.1 SOCIAL SUPPORT SERVICES………………………………………………………………………………………..……73 5.4.2 RESTORATION OF HEALTH SERVICES……………………………………………………………………………....75 5.4.3 GROUP SERVICES…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….76 5.4.4 STRONG PRAYERS AND DELIVERANCE SERVICES………………………………………………………….....77 5.4.5 RESTORATION OF WEALTH SERVICES………………………………………………………………………………78 5.4.6 RELATIONSHIP SERVICES: LOVE THERAPY………………………………………………………………………..79 5.4.7 OUTSIDE THE TEMPLE: MERCHANDISE AND SERVICES…………………………………………………….80 5.5 BETWEEN RE-ENCHANTMENT AND BUREAUCRACY: THE ‘RETURN’ OF MAGIC…………..………81 CHAPTER 6: THE UCKG’S PROSPERITY THEOLOGY: RESTORING THE COVENANT AND THE ETHICS OF INVESTMENT…………….………………..............84 6.1 INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………..84 6.2 GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT AND CHRIST: THE TRINITARIANISM OF THE UCKG………………………….84 6.3 MATERIALISM AND PNEUMATOLOGY: THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR EVERYONE…………………….…….86 6.3.2 RESTORING THE PACT: A COVENANT WITH GOD…………………………………….………………………89 6.4 FAITH AND THE LIVING GOD……………………………………………………………………………………..……….91 6.5 INVESTING IN GOD: SUPER-ACTION AND SACRIFICE…………………………………………………..……...94 6.6 THE HOLY FIRE OF ISRAEL……………………………………………………………………………………..………….101 CHAPTER 7: THE SECULARISATION OF DEMONS: THE ENEMIES OF THE UCKG IN MADRID…………………………………………………………………………...……….105 7.1 INTRODUCTION…..……………………………………………………………………………………………..…………….105 3 7.2 SPIRITUAL WARFARE………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….105 7.3 THE UCKG’S OTHERS IN MADRID…………………………………………………………………………………..….108 7.3.1 ESOTERICISM………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...108 7.3.2 SECULARISM AND NONBELIEVERS: THE IMAGE OF A DECADENT AND SCEPTICAL EUROPE………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………..113 7.4 A FLUID DEMONOLOGY: AN ADAPTABLE AND PLURAL EVIL……………………………………………..117 7.5 BECOMING THE SYMPTOMS: THE ABSENCE OF RELIGIOUS ANTHROPOPHAGY………………..120 7.6 MUSLIMS PAYING TITHES: INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE IN THE UCKG IN MADRID…………...123 CHAPTER 8: EXORCISMS, TESTIMONIALS AND THE SELF-OTHER: DELIVERANCE FROM THE PAST…………………………………………………………………………....126 8.1 INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..126 8.2 EXORCISMS AND GENDER: THE DEVIL’S PREFERENCE FOR WOMEN…………………………………126 8.3 INDIVIDUAL SALVATION: THE BISHOP’S EXAMPLE……………………………………………………………133 8.4 SELF-OTHERING IN TESTIMONIALS…………………………………………………………………………………..136 8.4.1 EXAMPLES OF SELF-OTHERING IN TESTIMONIALS…………………………………………………….……138 8.5 THE PENTECOSTAL PRINCIPLE: THE UNSTOPPABLE TRANSFORMATION……………………………141 CHAPTER 9: THE REINFORCEMENT OF RITUALS: THE DANIEL FAST, THE HOLY SUPPER AND OTHER INSTITUTIONAL FORMS OF CONTROL……………………..146 9.1 INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..146 9.2 ASCENSION THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT: THE DANIEL FAST CAMPAIGN…………………………..147 9.3 THE HOLY SUPPER…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….153 9.4 KINDS OF PRAYER AND OTHER INSTITUTIONALISED PERFORMANCES: CONTROLLING MEMBER BEHAVIOUR…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 156 9.5 RESEARCH AS A CONTROL DEVICE IN THE CHURCH: VISIBILITY AND SHAME…………………….160 CHAPTER 10: BETWEEN CHANGE AND INTEGRATION: A BORDERLESS CHURCH……………………………………………………………………………….……..165 10.1 INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………………………..……….165 4 10.2 PIERUCCI’S VIEW OF PENTECOSTALISM: RELIGION AS A SOLVENT………………………………….166 10.3 A COMMUNITY OR NOT? A DEBATE BETWEEN RUTH MARSHALL AND NIMI WARIBOKO………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………169 10.4 A LOCAL AND TRANSNATIONAL IDENTITY – THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON AS A SOCIAL BINDER OF THE UCKG IN MADRID………….…………………………………………………………….………………..174 CONCLUSION: A CHURCH WITHOUT BORDERS………………………….………….182 REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………….…200 5 Acknowledgements Once upon a time, there was an idea for a research project outside my home country, Brazil. As with any idea, it is difficult to measure and cite, after a few years, all the people involved in the development of this project. The beginning of the idea to research Pentecostalism occurred to me during one of the amazing classes given by Professor Fernando Londoño, while I was doing my master’s in Religious Studies (or the Science of Religion, in Brazil) at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP). I would also like to thank my dear Pentecostal friends at PUC-SP, especially Vagner Marques and Adaílson Souza, who helped me a lot with my bibliography and citations. Vagner and Adaílson also helped by commenting on my ideas and even helping me to choose the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God as an object of study. Without them, I would be more misguided than I naturally am. The idea of doing a PhD outside Brazil was hugely influenced by my colleague Raphael Uchôa, who provided me with much information about the academic requirements for getting into the United Kingdom. I also had the help of my former supervisor Eduardo Cruz and other professors like Maria do Rosado Nunes and José J. Queiroz, who wrote more than kind letters of recommendation for me, in support of my application to the University of Warwick. To them go my most sincere thanks. Another person important for my adventure of doing a PhD at Warwick was my supervisor Claire Blencowe, who was not only very helpful ever since our first conversation, but who also asked Steve Fuller to be my co-supervisor at that time. Both made significant corrections to and comments on my research. In the United Kingdom, my thanks go to all my colleagues in the Department of Sociology at the University of Warwick, especially those who entered in the academic year of 2014 and attended classes with me. There are so many people to thank that I would probably be unfair and forget someone if I tried to name you all. I would like to highlight the professors in charge of my upgrade, Charles Turner and the late Deborah Steinberg. In addition, I would like to thank Goldie Osuri, who was kind enough to accept me in one of her courses in my first year. From outside sociology, I would like to thank the Brazilians who were at Warwick in the academic year 2014/2015, who shared many good times with me. Special thanks go to my mom, who provided financial aid, psychological support and especially her ears to hear about my thesis ideas from the beginning. Without her comments and patience, the mess of thoughts would be much bigger than it already is. 6 Last but not least, I would like to thank the people of the Universal Church of Kingdom of God in Madrid who participated in this research. My main objective was never to depreciate their worldview, even though I do not agree with much of it on a personal level. Without their willingness to help me in the construction of this thesis, by correcting and answering my questions, there would have been no relevant debates on it. They share, along with