Mapping Demons: Worldwide Adaptations of Demons by a Brazilian Neo-Pentecostal Church

This study investigates the way in which a multinational Neo-Pentecostal church from Brazil, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG), adapts demons to suit a worldwide audience. The analysis relies on published studies of the church, the author’s own fieldwork experiences, church-related websites and YouTube channels, and research briefings on ethnographic fieldwork carried out in various countries and continents. The research shows how the church alters its demons (and their encompassing discourses) to suit every country in which it establishes a branch. It then discusses some general characteristics of church demons, including the demonization of local culture, the secularization or psychologization of demons, the unexpected dissemination of Brazilian culture through evil entities, demons involved in political struggles, and classic Biblical demons. This article contributes to an understanding of adaptations of the devil and demons—and the central role they play in the global mission of one Global South Pentecostal enterprise.