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Stop Suffering! Economic Downturns and Pentecostal Upsurge

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  • Costa, Francisco J M

    (FGV EPGE Brazilian School of Economics and Finance)

  • Junior, Angelo Marcantonio
  • Rocha, Rudi

Abstract

This paper estimates the effects of economic downturns on the expansion of Pentecostal Evangelicalism in Brazil. We find that regions more exposed to economic distress experienced a persistent rise both in Pentecostal affiliation and in the vote share of candidates connected to Pentecostal churches in national legislative elections. Once elected, these politicians carried out an agenda with greater emphasis on issues that are sensitive to fundamental religious principles. These results uncover a direct link between economic distress and a sustained entrenchment of more fundamentalist religious groups in a contemporary democracy.

Suggested Citation

  • Costa, Francisco J M & Junior, Angelo Marcantonio & Rocha, Rudi, 2019. "Stop Suffering! Economic Downturns and Pentecostal Upsurge," SocArXiv 9g5fv, Center for Open Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:9g5fv
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/9g5fv
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    Cited by:

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    2. Oeindrila Dube & Joshua Blumenstock & Michael Callen, 2022. "Measuring Religion from Behavior: Climate Shocks and Religious Adherence in Afghanistan," NBER Working Papers 30694, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. repec:osf:osfxxx:a72k8_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Raphael Corbi & Fabio Miessi Sanches, 2022. "Church Competition, Religious Subsidies and the Rise of Evangelicalism: a Dynamic Structural Analysis," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2022_09, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP).
    5. Pedro Ogeda & Emanuel Ornelas & Rodrigo R Soares, 2025. "Labor Unions and the Electoral Consequences of Trade Liberalization," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 23(1), pages 236-280.
    6. Sascha O. Becker & Amma Panin & Steven J. Pfaff & Jared Rubin, 2025. "Religion and Economic Development: Past, Present, and Future," Working Papers 25-01, Chapman University, Economic Science Institute.
    7. Barros, Laura & Santos Silva, Manuel, 2025. "Economic shocks, gender, and populism: Evidence from Brazil," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    8. Laura Barros & Manuel Santos Silva, 2019. "#EleNão: Economic crisis, the political gender gap, and the election of Bolsonaro," Ibero America Institute for Econ. Research (IAI) Discussion Papers 242, Ibero-America Institute for Economic Research.
    9. Costa, Francisco J M & Marcantonio, Angelo & Rocha, Rudi, 2024. "Beyond the Pulpit: Pentecostal Growth and Economic Transformations in Brazil," OSF Preprints a72k8, Center for Open Science.
    10. Jean-Paul Carvalho & Jared Rubin & Michael Sacks, 2024. "Correction to: Failed secular revolutions: religious belief, competition, and extremism," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 200(3), pages 587-588, September.
    11. Han, Jiajun & Zhang, Yuan, 2025. "Education and tolerance towards Homosexuality—Evidence from China," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).

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