ABSTRACT
Chapter 9 tackles two large and admittedly complex issues: Brazilian culture and spirituality. It begins by exploring the roots of Brazil’s diverse cultural mix, focusing specifically on characteristics that distinguish different geographic regions. Keeping these factors in mind, it then shows why these traits are important for understanding contemporary literature, music, cinema, and cultural celebrations such as Carnival. These traditions are crucial for defining Brazilian culture, yet they also reveal brutal histories of slavery, inequality, and exclusion. Crucial here is also Brazil’s diverse religious landscape, and, in the second half of this chapter, we focus on contemporary Brazilian spirituality. We pay particular attention to the growth of evangelical Christianity, as well as religion’s role in society and politics. Today, for example, evangelical groups are establishing a stronger presence in political decision-making processes, and recognizing these changes and their cultural roots is important for understanding current political and social debates in Brazil.
