"Starting out from a celebrated 1995 controversy which arose from a late-nigt incident on Brazilian TV, the relationaships between neo-Pentcostalism and establishe culture are explored. Taking into account traditions of legal rhetoric and of political adherence, the paper shows that what appears at one level as a religious conflict is at another level a conflict over political power, over the rhetoric and imagery of power, and for control of the popular imaginary." (Abstract)