Abstract: The objective of this text is to highlight the main contributions of Cecília Loreto Mariz to the sociology of Brazilian Pentecostalism. In this sense, the thesis of the rationalization of religions that guides the researcher's analysis is discussed, as well as the Pentecostal conception of liberation and the process of autonomy of individuals who embrace this form of religiosity. Finally, we discuss the argument that the demonization carried out by Pentecostals can be an instrument of ethicalization of religion and a vehicle of Western modernity for the most vulnerable social segments of the Brazilian population.
Keywords:
Sociology of religion; Pentecostalism; Brazil; Popular classes; Rationalization