This article is a case study of Brazil, a country where Catholic-based organizations have historically played a key role in providing education and welfare services. Since the 1980s, these organizations have supported progressive changes at both the national and subnational levels. Nevertheless, the influence of religion on education policy has shifted in the last few decades. Pentecostal and Neopentecostal groups have gained prominence through representatives in the National Congress, and, in 2018, formed a coalition enabling the election of a right-wing populist President. We analyse the trajectory of religious groups’ influence on Brazil’s education policy over time (colonization to the 1980s, the 1980s to the beginning of the 2000s, and the 2000s until now) through a qualitative-historical analysis of primary and secondary data. This article argues that both Catholic and Protestant groups have influenced progressive changes in Brazil’s education policy, but they also share conservative ideas impeding further advances.

本文是巴西的案例研究，该国天主教组织历来在提供教育和福利服务方面发挥着关键作用。自 1980 年代以来，这些组织一直支持国家和地方各级的渐进式变革。然而，宗教对教育政策的影响在过去几十年中发生了变化。五旬节派和新五旬节派团体通过国民议会的代表获得了声望，并于 2018 年成立了一个联盟，从而能够选举一名右翼民粹主义总统。我们通过对一手和二手数据的定性历史分析，分析了宗教团体对巴西教育政策的影响轨迹（殖民到 1980 年代、1980 年代到 2000 年代初期以及 2000 年代至今）。