Congregational and Spiritual Renewal in the Northeast

Abstract

In the mid-1960s, a climate of religious ferment spread through Protestant churches throughout Brazil, calling for a spiritual renewal. This yearning took shape through the Spiritual Renewal Movement, reshaping facets of Brazilian Protestantism. In the Northeast, the renewal movement reached Protestant pastors and faithful, among whom Baptists and Congregationals played a singular role in its consolidation and diffusion. Congregational leaders, especially from Paraíba and Pernambuco, immersed their communities in that “movement of the Spirit”. In order to understand this religious movement and its dynamics, we undertook research, from which we write this article. Our aim, through this article, is to present a brief historical-sociological overview of the religious renewal of congregationalist sectors in the Northeast.