Jumping into faith - the Phenomenon of Brazilian Pentecostal Conversions

In the article, the author focuses on the phenomenon of Pentecostal expansion among contemporary Brazilians, first discussing some sociocultural contexts of massive conversions by means of applying chosen theories to the Brazilian religious context, and then looking at the decisions behind religious transitions through their socially and culturally situated perspective, which prepares a relevant background for understanding the reasons and meanings of individual decisions dealt with in the second part of the article. Based on conversion “flashes” from individual testimonies given by converts, the author makes an attempt to show the common and most enticing features of Pentecostal conversion in a search for an explanation for its “snowball effect” in Brazil.