Data collected on the Catholic Charismatic Renovation (CCR) has shown how important youths are in the creation, maintenance and growth of the so-called "Communities of Life in Spirit". The majority of these communities were either founded for or by young people. Among those studied, "Toca de Assis" is the one that stands out because of the age of its members, and because it also chooses a more radical life style in the search for spiritual enlightenment. Based on these data and on the discussion of the concept of youth in modernity, this paper aims to treat the radicalism of juvenile experiences in different domains of life, especially with regard to religion and politics, in order to understand the tense and ambiguous role taken on by youngsters in different religious movements.
Youth; Religion; Community; Catholicism; Charismatic movement