The Invention of the “Third World Man”?

This response to Brendan Thornton’s work on Pentecostal masculinity in the Dominican Republic challenges the analytical frameworks commonly used to study gender in Global Pentecostalism. While affirming Thornton’s aim to broaden horizons in understanding religious gender dynamics, it argues against universalizing Western perspectives on gender and religion that risk “othering” Pentecostals in the Global South. Drawing from postcolonial critique and transcultural studies, the response problematizes established theories like the “Pentecostal gender paradox” and “reformation of machismo” as insufficient for understanding complex gender identities. Instead, it advocates for examining Pentecostal masculinity within broader global discourses and transcultural dynamics. The response concludes by proposing new research questions that consider how local and global religious practices intersect with multiple categories of identity, suggesting that future studies must apply a postcolonial self-critical perspective as well as an interdisciplinary approach to grasp more fully the fluidity of Pentecostal gender identities.