Pentecostals and the demonic in socio-political reality

Abstract

As largely recognized, the statement that “believers do not get involved in politics” belongs tothe past, as today there is a strong presence of Pentecostal churches in the sociopolitical sphere, including partypolitics. However, this Pentecostal participation operates with Manichean categories of thought, as well as based onthe notion of “spiritual battle” and the notion of the demonic, which somehow does not help in the exercise of citizenship. As a methodological path, we will refermainly to the reflection of Amos Yong, an important Pentecostal theologian who has been concerned with the interface between Pentecostal faith and the public sphere. This article defends the legitimacy of the sociopolitical participation of the churches, but also that its improvement involves the expansion of their notion of the demonic, mainly in the sociopolitical sphere. The author argues that Pentecostal churches need to develop a theological ethics focused on the public spherethat should be characterized by humility, awareness of the presence of ambiguity in the Pentecostal setting and a political agenda compatible with the Democratic Rule of Law.