Liberal, ecumenical, revolutionary and pluralistic Protestantism in Brazil – a project that has not been extinguished as yet

Abstract

In recent years, Protestant churches in Brazil have become intolerant to pluralism, opposed to ecumenism and immune to theological criticism. The profile of the current leadership of Brazilian Protestant churches in no way resembles the generation of Protestant intellectuals from the 30’s to the 50’s and even less the generation of ecumenical and revolutionary Protestants of the 60’s and 70’s. These two generations, within their limits and possibilities, helped build in Brazil a kind of Protestantism that, in spite of being a minority group, brought many contributions not only to their churches, but also to society. However, this type of Protestantism seems to be disappearing in the waves of a conservative model, not much given to theological reflection and uninterested in the new demands of social inclusion and in the rights of minorities. Apparently, we experience the end of this type of Protestantism in Brazil. That Protestantism tempered by the ideals of modernity seems to have failed. The text recovers some memories of these two generations, highlighting their opposition to fundamentalist advances that have found fertile ground in Brazil, and pays tribute to the heroes of resistance, sharing the same ideals and the same hope: may the Brazilian Protestantism be more liberal, ecumenical and pluralistic.