
An unexpected fusion of two major western religious traditions, Judaism and Christianity, has been developing in many parts of the world. Contemporary Christian movements are not only adopting Jewish symbols and aesthetics but also promoting Jewish practices, rituals, and lifestyles. Becoming Jewish, Believing in Jesus is the first in-depth ethnography to investigate this growing worldwide religious tendency in the global South. Focusing on an austere "Judaizing Evangelical" variant in Brazil, Carpenedo explores the surprising identification with Jews and Judaism by people with exclusively Charismatic Evangelical backgrounds. Drawing upon extensive fieldwork and socio-cultural analysis, the book analyses the historical, religious, and subjective reasons behind this growing trend in Charismatic Evangelicalism. The emergence of groups that simultaneously embrace Orthodox Jewish rituals and lifestyles and preserve Charismatic Evangelical religious symbols and practices raises serious questions about what it means to be "Jewish" or "Christian" in today's religious landscape. This case study reveals how religious, ethnic, and cultural markers are being mobilized in unpredictable ways within the Charismatic Evangelical movement in much of the global South. The book also considers broader questions regarding contemporary women's attraction to gender-traditional religions. This comprehensive account of how former Charismatic Evangelicals in Brazil are gradually becoming austerely observant "Jews," while continuing to believe in Jesus, represents a significant contribution to the study of religious conversion, cultural change, and debates about religious hybridization processes.
This book investigates the emergence of Judaizing Evangelical movements in Brazil, specifically examining why Charismatic Christians are increasingly adopting Jewish rituals and identities. Author Manoela Carpenedo, a scholar of religion, utilizes extensive ethnographic fieldwork and socio-cultural analysis to document this religious hybridization. She explores the historical and subjective motivations behind this trend, focusing on how these groups reconcile Orthodox Jewish practices with their existing Charismatic Evangelical beliefs. The work provides a framework for understanding how religious, ethnic, and cultural markers are being reconfigured in the global South.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Scholars in the field of religious studies recognize this work as a significant contribution to the understanding of religious conversion and cultural hybridization. Experts highlight the text for its rigorous ethnographic approach and its ability to navigate the complex intersection of identity, gender, and faith in contemporary religious landscapes.
Page Count:
297
Publication Date:
2021-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0190086947
ISBN-13:
9780190086947
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!