Social welfare actions promoted by pentecostal churches and their expressions in the social services policy in the city of Londrina

Abstract

Over the last thirty years, significant changes in the Protestant religious field have been observed, such as the pentecostalização (pentecostalization) of Protestant historical groups, its expansion in the political arena, and, the focus of this article, the behavioral changes in the Pentecostal evangelical churches in face of social problems present in the everyday reality of the city of Londrina – as well as in Brazil. This has led ministers and the faithful to adopt actions that go beyond the spiritual sphere, addressing situations like hunger, unemployment, drug use and addiction. But, what motivates these churches to work with the social welfare work area? What are the consequences of these actions for the social welfare work policy? These are the questions we intend to deal with, raising new inquiries.