The New Evangelical Ethos in the Age of Bolsonaro and Trump

https://rainforestjournalismfund.org/projects/army-jesus

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/democraciaabierta/rise-narco-militia-pentecostal-brazil-en/

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/10/cpac-argentina-milei-maga-trump-musk

This is disturbing but not at all surprising. And given that within a decade Brazil will likely have the largest Evangelical population on the planet - it's a moment for sober reflection.

Isn't it wonderful to see how Dominionist Theology is working out in other countries? And depending on which direction the second Trump administration goes, we may see more of this in the United States as well. You can see how 'Culture War' in a more extreme context begins to incorporate the guns and we've already seen how Evangelicals in the quest for power will form alliances with all manner of evil - the end justifying the means. This is rather poignant in a place like Brazil. And though the 'Golgotha Command' article dates from 2022, it's hardly a stretch to imagine how these Evangelical paramilitary groups might be involved in Bolsonaro's coup machinations.
Additionally as the Open Democracy article suggests, the churches are being used for money laundering - an issue that is in part behind why nations like Russia and China are so cautious when it comes to Western-connected Evangelical groups operating within their boundaries.

I thought about this as I read of the recent (December 2024) CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) held in Milei's Argentina. Milei of course was just recently meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, eager to establish ties and relationships.

Lara Trump suggested the Milei strategy in Argentina which has involved vast cuts and extreme austerity is what the Trump administration is planning for in the United States. Clearly the unelected and congressionally unaccountable Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) outfit created by Trump (and led my Elon Musk) is the central command of this new operation. A year into Milei's term, the jury is still out on the results. There's a vicious debate taking place with some suggesting his policies have failed and led to an increase in poverty, while his supporters insist on its success in curbing inflation and they point to markers suggesting further success is just around the next bend in the road.

Given the observable patterns of circularity with regard to Viktor Orban - a process in which the American Right inspires him and boosts his profile, which in turn circles back and allows his ideas to directly influence American politics, I'm left wondering about these militias in Brazil. It's hard not to imagine how these groups are not going to 'circle back' into North American politics. In fact I think you might already be seeing it with groups like the Proud Boys. The militia has elements of White Supremacy but there are also large numbers of Latinos representing sub-groups or factions that each have their own spin on the larger narratives of Right-wing ideology.

This trend is concerning to say the least. I can think of many churches that wouldn't like this sort of thing operating within their circles - militia groups operating parallel to the Church.

But, one need only think of the Jim Crow South, the KKK, and the battles over Civil Rights. It's clear that many churches kept their official distance even while it was an open secret that members (and church officers) were participating in such 'extracurricular' activities on the side. I see that scenario repeating itself - a situation in which the Church begins to function in a masonic fashion with circles of initiation and of course intimidation. That has to be happening in these Pentecostal churches in places like Brazil.