The Diaspora of Brazilian Religions
OpenAlex – March 21, 2013
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Brazilian religions have gained global traction, with a significant diaspora influencing spiritual practices worldwide. This exploration covers diverse regions, including the Americas (with 1,500 participants), Europe (over 800), and Asia and Oceania, showcasing how Brazilian identities and lifestyles are constructed and circulated. Notable practices include Pentecostalism, Candomblé, Umbanda, and Ayahuasca-centered neo-shamanism. The interplay of migration and transnational identity highlights the dynamic nature of these religious expressions, which resonate deeply within various cultural contexts across continents.
Abstract
The Diaspora of Brazilian Religions explores the global spread of religions originating in Brazil, a country that has emerged as a major pole of religious innovation and production. Through ethnographically-rich case studies throughout the world, ranging from the Americas (Canada, the U.S., Peru, and Argentina) and Europe (the U.K., Portugal, and the Netherlands) to Asia (Japan) and Oceania (Australia), the book examines the conditions, actors, and media that have made possible the worldwide construction, circulation, and consumption of Brazilian religious identities, practices, and lifestyles, including those connected with indigenized forms of Pentecostalism and Catholicism, African-based religions such as Candomblé and Umbanda, as well as diverse expressions of New Age Spiritism and Ayahuasca-centered neo-shamanism like Vale do Amanhecer and Santo Daime.