Diogo Silva Corrêa, Faith and Crime: The Complex Interplay Between Evangelicalism and Drug Trafficking in Rio de Janeiro’s Favelas, 13.02.2024, 5pm-7pm CET

24 January 2025

Zoom* and Room TBA, 1 place Saint-Thomas d’Aquin 75007 Paris

Faith and Crime: The Complex Interplay Between Evangelicalism and Drug Trafficking in Rio de Janeiro’s Favelas

In this talk, I examine the intricate interplay between Evangelism and criminality in the favela of Cidade de Deus, Rio de Janeiro. Based on two years of immersive fieldwork in a church deeply connected to former drug traffickers, I analyze these dynamics through three distinct sociological scales. 

At the macro level, I investigate the cultural and symbolic transformations in Rio de Janeiro’s peripheral communities, with Cidade de Deus as the focal case. Historically, drug trafficking was associated with Afro-Brazilian religious practices, but this has shifted with the increasing influence of Evangelism. This “evangelization” is evident in practices such as the banning of Afro-Brazilian rituals, the removal of imagery like São Jorge, and the prominence of biblical symbols, such as painted psalms and monumental church constructions. I explore how this interaction between the drug trade and Pentecostalism has not only transformed the cultural landscape but also given rise to a distinctive Pentecostal style shaped by the context of local violence. 

At the meso level, I delve into the life histories of high-ranking former drug traffickers who have converted to Pentecostalism. Using the sociological concept of “career,” I analyze the stages of their transformation from traffickers to “ex” and how they reinterpret their past crimes through the lens of their new religious identities. These narratives reveal common challenges—ethical dilemmas, practical barriers, and existential crises—that emerge as they navigate their new lives. 

At the micro level, I present an in-depth case study of a single former drug trafficker over two years, during which he oscillated between criminal activities and his commitment to the church. Through weekly recorded meetings, I employ a method I call the “sociology of intimate problems,” exploring conversion as an ongoing and dynamic process. This approach reveals how the normative regimes of crime and the church coexist and compete within a single self, with conversion continuously renegotiated amidst moral conflicts and personal struggles. 

By integrating these three levels of analysis, I highlight the pivotal roles of crime and evangelical churches in shaping life in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas. This multiscalar approach demonstrates how these normative regimes influence social organization, redefine the meaning of conversion, and open new pathways for individual and collective transformation in these complex urban contexts.

Speaker:

Diogo Silva Corrêa is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Vila Velha (UVV) and a guest lecturer at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS). He is an associated researcher at the Centre d’Études des Mouvements Sociaux (CEMS-EHESS) and serves as the coordinator of the Laboratory of Studies in Theory and Social Change (LABEMUS-UVV/UFPE). Holding a PhD in Sociology from EHESS and IESP-UERJ, his research delves into biographical transformation processes, with a focus on pathways out of crime, gender transitions, and urban social dynamics. He is the author of Anjos de Fuzil: Uma Etnografia das Relações entre Pentecostalismo e Vida do Crime na Favela Cidade de Deus, as well as a co-author of three books and over 30 academic articles.

*The link will be sent to you after your registration

Subscribe to our mailing list | For more information: citiesarebackintown@sciencespo.fr