Paper short abstract

Evangelical Christianity is a minority in Guinea-Bissau, where people mostly practice Islam and local religions. The expansion of the movement will be interpreted as a response to the failure of the State, and will be associated to the project to transform society through evangelization.

Paper long abstract

In this paper I focus on the case of Evangelical Christianity in Guinea-Bissau. Until recent times, Christianity has been a small religious minority in the country, against a majority practicing Islam and local religions. Nevertheless, in the last two decades Christianity has experienced a significant growth - especially in the case of Evangelical, Pentecostal and Neo-Pentecostal churches - becoming more and more visible on the public scene.

The expansion of the Evangelical minority in the public sphere can be interpreted as a response to the failure of the Guinean State, which is more than ever marked by political instability, corruption and bankruptcy. In contrast with a State perceived as increasingly absent from people's lives, Evangelical churches are implementing a double strategy. From the one hand, they are involved in building an alternative society, providing their members with social services and strong solidarity ties. From the other hand, the Evangelical movement is actively committed to the (utopian) project to transform the State through evangelization. Indeed, the intervention of God is seen as the only way to save the Nation.