Secularism and the religious market

Abstract

This paper has two main objectives: i) to analyze the meaning of the concepts “modern secularization” and “religious market”; and ii) to contemplate how modern religious trends have influenced the religious experience. As one hypothesis, we state that modern secularization is present in Brazil, creating new religious denominations and, consequently, a religious market—that is, a competitive space for attracting followers, where each institution seeks to maximize its profits (greed) and serve its own interests (desire for domination). To support our hypothesis, (1) we will present the meaning of the term “secularization” (in its political, practical, and voluntary senses); then, (2) we will argue that secularization in Brazil has given rise to what is generally referred to as a “religious market.” Finally, we will summarize the results of our research and raise some issues for reader’s evaluation.