How Social Media Is Redefining Evangelical Influence In Brazil

In recent years, Brazil has witnessed a dramatic rise in the influence of evangelicalism, particularly through social media platforms.

The Brazilian Pentecostal pastor, author and televangelist, Silas Malafaia, is not one to shy away from criticizing the government on social media. Photo Credit: Reprodução/Instagram

In recent years, Brazil has witnessed a dramatic rise in the influence of evangelicalism, particularly through social media platforms. Evangelical leaders and influencers, like Pastor Silas Malafaia, are using their vast online followings to shape public opinion and mobilise political action, various reports have said.

Meanwhile, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s administration faces growing criticism from this powerful bloc but is Brazil’s evangelical wave really reshaping the nation’s politics?

The arguments

In Brazil, evangelicalism has grown significantly and become a powerful political force thanks to its incorporation into social media. Malafaia and other evangelical influencers use their significant internet followings to change people’s perceptions.

Effective Mobilization

Compared to other well-known content creators, evangelical social media influencers are better at mobilising people. Community support and active participation on social media serve to amplify their influence.

Influence on Politics

Lula’s interaction with this bloc has been forced by evangelical influencers’ involvement in political discourse, particularly in the run-up to the municipal elections. Liberal positions on gender diversity and reproductive rights are frequently the focus of Evangelical critiques of Lula.

Strategic Outreach

Evangelicals are being actively courted by Lula’s administration through campaigns and open displays of religion. Lula continues to interact with the evangelical community in an effort to forge connections and sway their opinions, in spite of internal concerns.

The facts

Evangelicalism in Brazil saw a 61% growth between 2000 and 2010, Rest of World reported on a census on religion. On average, 17 evangelical churches opened daily in Brazil in 2019. Eight of the top ten Christian influencers on Instagram in Brazil are evangelicals.

Also, evangelical churches act as informal welfare states, providing jobs and support to their communities. Evangelical social media engagement is bolstered by weekly church meetings.

Pastor Silas Malafaia, who has over 4 million followers on Instagram and a little over 1 million subcribers on YouTube, is known for using social media to criticise President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and promote anti-leftist sentiment.

Aside Malafaia evangelical social media creators reportedly have a strong capacity to mobilize people and nearly 60% of Brazilian evangelicals disapprove of Lula’s performance.

Evangelicals see political engagement as a moral obligation. There was a nearly 4% increase in political candidates using Christian references in the 2022 general election.

Lula has been using more religious expressions in public to appeal to evangelicals. His administration launched the “Faith in Brazil” campaign to engage evangelicals.