O movimento worship no Brasil

Abstract

In recent decades, the evangelical religious landscape in Brazil has undergone significant changes, particularly regarding the music used in worship services. The worship movement, which means "adoration" in English, has emerged as the main musical expression in Brazilian evangelical churches, especially among young people in urban areas. This study aims to understand the factors that led to the widespread acceptance of this musical aesthetic, analyzing the influences of globalization, media culture, and religious consumption practices. The research reveals that worship goes beyond a simple musical style, representing a form of contemporary spirituality characterized by strong emotional, aesthetic, and performative appeal. Based on the analysis of theoretical frameworks on globalization, cultural hybridity, and the religious market, it becomes evident how external elements—mainly from movements such as Hillsong, Jesus Culture, and Bethel Music—have been adapted to the Brazilian context, creating a glocal spirituality that is simultaneously global and local. The study also examines how worship influences liturgical practices, the formation of religious identities, and the collective imagination of believers, transforming church services into sensory and media-driven experiences. Furthermore, it discusses the role of media, social networks, and the cultural industry in the consolidation of worship in Brazil, as well as its impacts on Pentecostalism and interdenominational interactions. Finally, the study presents an overview of the growth of worship in the city of Campo Grande (MS), investigating events, practices, and meanings attributed to this contemporary aesthetic of worship in the local context. Therefore, worship reveals itself as a complex phenomenon that merges faith, market, culture, and technology in the construction of new forms of religious experience in contemporary Brazil.