Marketing the ‘health and wealth gospel’ across national borders; evidence from Brazil and the United States

The idea that religious practice leads to material prosperity forms the basis of a branch of Pentecostalism that has spread rapidly across the globe. Known as the “health and wealth movement,” it has been popularized by multinational churches through mass broadcasting. However, little is known about how the health and wealth message might differ across countries. This paper examines the issue by analyzing the television programs produced by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, for Rio de Janeiro and New York City audiences. Comparing six months of programming, I find that shows in both cities share similar representations about the material and physical rewards that can be obtained through religious adherence, but communicate different causal narratives about how religious practice leads to prosperity. The Rio programs emphasize that prayer, the ritualistic use of sacred objects, and miracles bring about prosperity. In contrast, the NYC programs emphasize that prayer, in conjunction with perseverance and struggle, lead to such gains. The findings indicate the nuanced ways that global and local institutional contexts shape the diffusion of the health and wealth gospel, and suggest that multinational churches navigate these contexts by adapting key elements of their messages.