The proximity to the elections and the relationship between part of the evangelical church and political power reignited the debate on the theology of domination, with videos on the topic circulating in message groups and on social media. But what actually is dominion theology?
Experts explain that the concept is the result of a set of theological currents in which Christians believe they have a divine mandate to take control of all instances of power and public spheres. In other words, it is not enough to be present in society, it is necessary to exercise control over it.
In Brazil, this phenomenon became more evident from 2018 with the election of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) to the Presidency. With the slogan "Brazil above all, God above all", Bolsonaro appointed a "terribly evangelical" minister to the Federal Supreme Court and adopted conservative policies aimed at the traditional family model and the protection of Christian morals.
The movement of some Christians to dominate society began earlier, in the United States, at the beginning of the 20th century, according to Magali Cunha, researcher at Iser (Institute for Religious Studies).
She explains that one of the currents that gave rise to dominion theology emerged among Calvinist Christians, followers of John Calvin's thesis that God has control of all things. The so-called religious fundamentalism was born with the aim of preserving the Christian faith from what they considered a danger or threat, such as the industrial revolution and its modernities.
In this attempt to protect the Christian faith arises what evangelicals today call a spiritual battle, that is, the fight of good against evil. Sociologist Rodrigo Toniol, columnist for Folha, highlights that there are territories, institutions, cities and different spheres of social life that, for evangelicals, may be under the influence of evil and that need to be won back to God. “Therefore, ‘dominating’ means, above all, making good prevail over evil,” he states.
Cunha explains that another theology emerged after the Second World War to respond to the political demands of the time. The proposal is not only to protect the faith, but to occupy all areas of society. Called dominionist, this thesis is based on a reading of the book of Genesis, when God gives man the power to dominate his creation.
“Dominate over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every animal that moves on the earth,” says the book of Genesis, chapter 1, verse 28.
For theologian and anthropologist Igor Shimura, professor at UFPR (Federal University of Paraná), the logic of dominion theology comes from the Old Testament of the Bible, where wars in the name of God are also recorded.
Shimura explains that Pentecostal and Neo-Pentecostal churches, such as Universal and Assembly of God, are examples of denominations that are based more on the Old Testament, as opposed to Reformed churches, such as Presbyterians, which apply more of the New Testament.
This partly explains, says Shimura, the fact that Pentecostal churches are more present in the politics and theology of the domain. The Lagoinha Baptist Church, for example, created the Clava Forte Bank. However, for Cunha it is a mistake to associate the domination thesis with Pentecostals. She remembers the former Minister of Education Milton Ribeiro, from the Bolsonaro government, who is pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Brazil and was dismissed from his position after revealing the MEC's "business desk".
Another thesis that contributes to dominionism is the theology of the seven mountains or the seven mountains. They represent the areas that Christians must master as an order from God. They are: family, religion (the church itself), education, politics, media, arts and economics.
According to Shimura, this idea represents an attempt by Christians to rebuild society based on biblical values, and not just influence it.
This thesis establishes the idea of control, not just Christian presence or influence, which is natural, explains the UFPR professor. "Influence, it will influence, of course. But, how much? What is the limit of influence? If you don't have a guide to what the limit is, you'll keep going and soon become predatory", he said.
As a theologian, Shimura explains that being present and participating in society is part of the evangelical mission, but this does not mean controlling or dominating.
"Where are the believers? They're everywhere, right? Now, we don't need to dominate everywhere. That's what's the point," says Shimura.
Pastor and theologian Sergio Moreira, author of the book "The Theology of Dominion", highlights that the idea of installing an evangelical dominion over the earth is a mistake. This is because Jesus himself said that the kingdom of God does not belong to this world, but is within each Christian. And remember the verse that says that "the kingdom of God is among you", in Luke's gospel.
"The kingdom of God is spiritual. The church, which represents the body of Christ on earth, is the manifestation of the kingdom of God. We must teach the values of Jesus, not impose them. Imposing them is a big mistake. No faith should be imposed", says Moreira.
Shimura says he has no doubt that there is a theology of dominion underway in Brazil, guiding some Christians to do what religious leaders want. However, he considers that the word "domain" is a little scary. "The average evangelical doesn't want to dominate anything. He wants to live his life with Jesus. Now, those who have a political interest, yes, apply the theology of dominance because the more position, the more power", he states.
Cunha recalls that Brazil is a secular country, which must guarantee freedom of worship for all religious groups, including those who do not have a religion.
"When a religious group has a power project and in that project they want to legislate and create public policies based on a single religious perspective, we have a problem, because even among religious groups there are different perspectives. This compromises the democratic rule of law", says Cunha.
