It Is the King Who Rules This Nation
摘要
The present chapter provides a materialist analysis of the theological rhetoric associated with Bolsonarism, arguing that it constitutes an apocalyptic movement arising from the ongoing social disintegration of contemporary Brazil. The analysis focuses on the speeches of former First Lady Michele Bolsonaro and the prayers of pastors such as André Valadão, with the objective of decoding the “Theology of Spiritual Battle.” This theological framework interprets political conflicts on Earth as manifestations of a cosmic war between God and demonic forces, with the Bolsonaro government serving as a divine instrument of liberation and national healing. The chapter establishes a connection between the aforementioned worldview and Hinkelammert’s conceptualization of fundamentalism—an interpretive framework characterized by a catastrophic and deterministic orientation. This framework interprets the collapse of the ancien regime as an auspicious event, heralding the dawn of a new millennium. The study posits that Bolsonarism is a manifestation of “political-spiritual” traditionalism, one that perceives the vestiges of modernity and proffers its adherents a sacred quest for a new Heaven and a new Earth, thereby countering the “enlightened left’s” anachronistic progressivism.