Eternal Politics: Life and Death in the Evangelical Community

Abstract

This study explores how evangelical communities in Latin America understand and structure the concepts of life and death, based on their interpretation of time and its impact on the construction of collective identities and communal memory. Through the analysis of funerary practices and rituals, the dual system of life and death under the evangelical prism is examined, highlighting the crucial role of death not only as a bio-logical event but as an act loaded with political and social meaning. The importance of rituals and ceremonies in shaping collective memory, as well as in defining community identity in contrast to other Christian denominations and in the broader public sphere, is emphasized. The paper reveals how these communities use their understanding of life and death to establish a "grand narrative" that strengthens their internal cohesion and outlines their symbolic boundaries, while addressing their insertion and participation in the broader society.