MANIFEST RELIGIOUS PARTISANSHIP: THE DRAMA OF POLITICAL LEGITIMATION IN A SECULAR ERA

Abstract

The article critically analyzes the phenomenon of religious partisanship in contemporary Brazil, with emphasis on the risks that this process represents for state secularism, institutional neutrality and the consolidation of plural democracy. The advance of religious power in the public space is observed, disguised as democratic representation, especially through the performance of the Evangelical Parliamentary Front, which influences public policies based on particular moral values. The research, of a qualitative nature, is based on a bibliographic review, analysis of parliamentary discourses and constitutional normative documents, as well as electoral lawsuits on abuse of religious power with an interdisciplinary approach, the study articulates references from Political Science, Constitutional Law, Sociology of Religion and Political Philosophy, arguing that Brazilian technodemocracy, instead of promoting inclusion,  has reinforced exclusionary and authoritarian practices. It is argued that the instrumentalization of faith in the political game compromises republican values, hindering democratic consensus and promoting social setbacks, proposing the strengthening of institutional mechanisms to contain abuses, as well as public and educational policies that ensure religious diversity and democratic sustainability.