Religion and Politics in the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God: a debate on the post-2022 election context

Abstract

This article analyzes the political positioning of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) following the 2022 presidential elections. Our interest in this research stems from the UCKG’s use of pragmatism as the central rule for granting political alliances. Notably, the UCKG consistently supported Jair Bolsonaro, even when electoral polls indicated a victory for Lula and the Workers' Party (WP). Given the UCKG’s commitment to maintaining good relations with federal government leaders, this study questions the church's political alignment, especially considering its vehement campaign against Lula's government (WP) during the election. The primary empirical material for this analysis is the newspaper Folha Universal, the UCKG’s weekly evangelization and informational tool. This is a qualitative study that aims to capture the newspaper's approach in pro-Bolsonaro manifestations against the election results, such as protests in front of military barracks, the act on the Proclamation of the Republic holiday, the presidential inauguration, and unconstitutional demonstrations in Brasília. Although Bolsonaro was not elected, the election results favored the election of several politicians associated with the UCKG. The findings reveal that the newspaper's content simultaneously emphasizes the need to respect the electoral outcome and continues to criticize Lula and the WP.