Suffering as a Disorder
This article, based on data collected during field research, analyses discussions with converts to the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God pertaining to issues of illness and suffering. A neo-Pentecostal church, the Universal Church is active throughout the world. In Brazil, however, it has gained more adherents in recent years than any other faith-based organization. The church relies, in particular, upon the participation of women, who become converts or attend services in the hope of resolving personal and family problems. The church’s discourse relating to illness and an analysis of its curing rituals help us to understand how so many women become converted to this faith.