(Re)Discoveries of the Reformed Faith in Brazil

Abstract

The recent widespread interest in the Reformed faith among evangelicals in Brazil raises the question of how much Calvinism entered and established itself in this country. Brazilian Presbyterianism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries appears to have been more conservative evangelical, more anti-Roman Catholic, than distinctively Reformed. The twenty-first-century interest in the Reformed faith among many evangelicals from different denominations (including a greater interest among Presbyterians) comes through four avenues: literature, conferences, media, and theological schools. However, the variegated use of the terms ‘Reformed’ and ‘Calvinism’ allows the conclusion that many elements that have composed this historical tradition have not been widely rediscovered. In order for Brazilians further to understand Calvinism, there needs to be a discovery of its rich legacy in biblical-hermeneutical, historical-dogmatic, as well as pastoral studies.