Dados is one of the most widely-read social sciences journals in Latin America. Created in 1966, it publishes innovative works, originating from academic research, by Brazilian and foreign authors. Edited by IESP-UERJ, it aims to reconcile scientific rigor and academic excellence with an emphasis on public debate based on the analysis of substantive issues of society and politics.
Dados vol. 54 n. 3 Rio de Janeiro 2011
Abstract
This article discusses several elements that allow understanding the conversion of 'bandits' to Pentecostal Evangelical churches. The empirical material consisted basically of interviews with individuals who had 'lived a life of crime' before converting to some Pentecostal denomination. The analysis is based on the idea of criminal subjection - meaning the social construction of the 'bandit' as a subject. Criminal subjection is highlighted in the narratives of conversion. The study thus provides elements for understanding the construction of two identities that are strikingly present on the poor outskirts of Brazilian metropolitan areas and that constitute an important part of their daily reality: the 'bandit' and the 'believer'.
Keywords: criminal subjection, Pentecostalism, conversion, subjection
DOI: 10.1590/S0011-52582011000300007
From 'hearts of stone' to 'hearts of flesh': the conversion of 'bandits' to pentecostal evangelical churches
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