Mobilising Zionist and philo-Semitic sentiments through melodrama: Brazilian biblical telenovelas in the production of a neo-Pentecostal political culture.

Résumé

Biblical telenovelas have been extensively produced by one of the world's largest neo-Pentecostal churches, the Brazilian Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG). Since 2010, the UCKG's TV network has been broadcasting and exporting these epic biblical series, which have played a significant role in solidifying a unique neo-Pentecostal melodramatic culture. This contribution delves into the telenovela (of 2017-2018 and broadcast again in 2024 during the war in the Middle East) to demonstrate how biblical telenovelas can foster political sentiments. Research in the field of media and religion has underscored how media can shape religious imagination, allow individuals to experience transcendence, and create alternative avenues for religious practice due to its meaning-making capabilities. Furthermore, studies on Pentecostal telenovelas have shed light on the evangelising potential of the genre and its significance in the public domain. However, there is a gap in understanding how these melodramatic narratives not only activate religious imagination but also political inclinations. This contribution seeks to fill this gap, examining how everyday politics, philo-Semitic, and Zionist inclinations are nurtured through the UCKG's Biblical telenovelas.