The Megachurch

Author : Stephen Ellingson
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 261 pages
File Size : 40,7 Mb
Release : 2008-09-15
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780226204925

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The Megachurch and the Mainline by Stephen Ellingson Pdf

Religious traditions provide the stories and rituals that define the core values of church members. Yet modern life in America can make those customs seem undesirable, even impractical. As a result, many congregations refashion church traditions so they may remain powerful and salient. How do these transformations occur? How do clergy and worshipers negotiate which aspects should be preserved or discarded? Focusing on the innovations of several mainline Protestant churches in the San Francisco Bay Area, Stephen Ellingson’s The Megachurch and the Mainline provides new understandings of the transformation of spiritual traditions. For Ellingson, these particular congregations typify a new type of Lutheranism—one which combines the evangelical approaches that are embodied in the growing legion of megachurches with American society’s emphasis on pragmatism and consumerism. Here Ellingson provides vivid descriptions of congregations as they sacrifice hymns in favor of rock music and scrap traditional white robes and stoles for Hawaiian shirts, while also making readers aware of the long history of similar attempts to Americanize the Lutheran tradition. This is an important examination of a religion in flux—one that speaks to the growing popularity of evangelicalism in America.

Author : Tamelyn Tucker-Worgs
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2012-08-15
Category : African American churches
ISBN : 1602584222

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The Black Megachurch by Tamelyn Tucker-Worgs Pdf

An explosion of flourishing black megachurches has changed the landscape of American religious life. Boasting memberships into the tens of thousands and meeting within both adorned walls and refurbished warehouse buildings, these contemporary fruits of the Civil Rights Movement hold many of the resources necessary to address America's contemporary social disparities. After studying nearly 150 black megachurches, Tamelyn N. Tucker-Worgs asks, How are these church communities engaging the public sphere? And, why are their approaches so varied? The Black Megachurch sets aside the broad assumptions usually applied to the study of black churches and analyzes the three factors most necessary for social engagement--theological orientation, organization of community development initiatives, and gender-based spheres of labor and leadership. In doing so, Tucker-Worgs underscores the myriad ways in which black megachurches have responded to the changing social climate and concludes that while some have lived up to their potential, others have a long way to go. WINNER of the 2012 W.E.B. DuBois Distinguished Book Award - Presented by The National Conference of Black Political Scientists

Author : Peter J. Schuurman
Publisher : McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 54,9 Mb
Release : 2019-06-30
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780773558342

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The Subversive Evangelical by Peter J. Schuurman Pdf

Evangelicals have been scandalized by their association with Donald Trump, their megachurches summarily dismissed as “religious Walmarts.” In The Subversive Evangelical Peter Schuurman shows how a growing group of “reflexive evangelicals” use irony to critique their own tradition and distinguish themselves from the stereotype of right-wing evangelicalism. Entering the Meeting House – an Ontario-based Anabaptist megachurch – as a participant observer, Schuurman discovers that the marketing is clever and the venue (a rented movie theatre) is attractive to the more than five thousand weekly attendees. But the heart of the church is its charismatic leader, Bruxy Cavey, whose anti-religious teaching and ironic tattoos offer a fresh image for evangelicals. This charisma, Schuurman argues, is not just the power of one individual; it is a dramatic production in which Cavey, his staff, and attendees cooperate, cultivating an identity as an “irreligious” megachurch and providing followers with a more culturally acceptable way to practise their faith in a secular age. Going behind the scenes to small group meetings, church dance parties, and the homes of attendees to investigate what motivates these reflexive evangelicals, Schuurman reveals a playful and provocative counterculture that distances itself from prevailing stereotypes while still embracing a conservative Christian faith.

Author : Mark J. Cartledge,Sarah Dunlop,Heather Buckingham,Sophie Bremner
Publisher : BRILL
Page : 405 pages
File Size : 53,9 Mb
Release : 2019-06-07
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9789004402652

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Megachurches and Social Engagement by Mark J. Cartledge,Sarah Dunlop,Heather Buckingham,Sophie Bremner Pdf

This book explores the nature and significance of social engagement by megachurches using Anglican and African diaspora Pentecostal case studies. It describes the range of social engagement activities, offering explanations in term of theological motivations and the influence of globalisation.

Author : Stephen J. Hunt
Publisher : BRILL
Page : 362 pages
File Size : 44,7 Mb
Release : 2019-11-26
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9789004412927

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Handbook of Megachurches by Stephen J. Hunt Pdf

The megachurch is an exceptional recent religious trend, certainly within Christian spheres. Spreading from the USA, megachurches now reached reach different global contexts. The edited volume Handbook of Megachurches offers a comprehensive account of the subject from various academic perspectives.

Author : James Wellman,Kate Stockly
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 353 pages
File Size : 48,6 Mb
Release : 2020
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780199827718

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High on God by James Wellman,Kate Stockly Pdf

"Focuses on the emotional, social, and religious dynamics that pull thousands of people into megachurches and how those churches make some feel like they are 'high on God' and can't wait to get their next spiritual 'hit'"--Publisher marketing.

Author : Wanjiru M. Gitau
Publisher : InterVarsity Press
Page : 211 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2018-10-16
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780830873746

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Megachurch Christianity Reconsidered by Wanjiru M. Gitau Pdf

Christianity Today 2019 Book of the Year Award, Missions/Global Church Building from a behind-the-scenes case study of Kenya's Nairobi Chapel and its "daughter" Mavuno Church, Wanjiru M. Gitau expands their story into a narrative that offers analysis of the rise, growth, and place of megachurches worldwide in the new millennium. In contexts experienced as deeply volatile, and on a continent reeling from the structural incoherence imposed in colonial times, megachurches provide a map of reality to navigate by, with the gospel as their primary compass. Gitau shows that recognizing the psychological, spiritual, and social destabilization of modernizing societies is the first step to valuing the place of megachurches in contemporary Christianity. Through analysis of social demography, theology, philosophy of ministry, leadership development, and strategy, Megachurch Christianity Reconsidered makes integral sense of the historical and social forces that give megachurches their growth opportunity, and reclaims them as a subject of serious theological conversation. This engaging account centers on the role of millennials in responding to the need for "a home for new generations" amid the dislocating transitions of globalization and postmodernity in postcolonial Africa and around the world. Gitau gleans practical wisdom for postdenominational churches everywhere (mega- and otherwise) from the lessons learned in Kenya's remarkable urban, evangelical renewal movement. Missiological Engagements charts interdisciplinary and innovative trajectories in the history, theology, and practice of Christian mission, featuring contributions by leading thinkers from both the Euro-American West and the majority world whose missiological scholarship bridges church, academy, and society.

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Jess Bousa
Page : 329 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2024-06-28
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Confessions of a Wanna-Be Megachurch Pastor: I was wrong about the Seeker-Sensitive Movement by Anonim Pdf

Author : Os Guinness
Publisher : Baker Books
Page : 116 pages
File Size : 51,8 Mb
Release : 1993-08-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781585586028

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Dining with the Devil by Os Guinness Pdf

What shapes the message of the church? The Bible and Spirit? Or society and culture? Os Guinness points out perils of compromise in the church growth movement.

Author : Scott Thumma,Dave Travis
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 276 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 2007-08-10
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780787994679

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Beyond Megachurch Myths by Scott Thumma,Dave Travis Pdf

Drawing on extensive, broad-based, and well-designed research, as well as stories and anecdotes, Beyond Megachurch Myths dispels popluar myths about megachurches while highlighting the diversity within the megachurch phenomenon. Defining a megachurch as a Protestant church that averages at least 2000 total attendees in their weekend services, Scott Thumma and Dave Travis reveal what these churches are and are not, why they are thriving, what their members say about their experiences, and why they have many valuable lessons to teach smaller churches.

Author : William R. McAlpine
Publisher : Wipf and Stock Publishers
Page : 222 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2011-02-14
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781608994687

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Sacred Space for the Missional Church by William R. McAlpine Pdf

Sacred Space for the Missional Church examines the strong link between the theology and mission of the Church and the spaces in which and from which that theology and mission are lived out. The author demonstrates that the built environment is not incidental or even subservient to mission. Rather it is a key player in the fulfillment and the communication of that mission. The book begins with a working definition of the missional church, underscoring the connection between God's mission (missio Dei) and the Church's mission. The reader is presented with historical and theological frameworks for sacred space, and reminded of the pivotal role of the built environment in the fulfillment of the mission of the Church. The design and construction of sacred spaces are shown to be fundamentally a theological exercise and not solely a matter of function, pragmatics and fiscal astuteness. The author questions the uncritical application of blanket statements such "form must follow function," and challenges the conviction that it does not matter where worship occurs, only that it occurs. The book addresses genuine concerns such as legitimizing the cost of church buildings and concludes with practical suggestions and essential questions that must be considered in posturing the built environment within the missional praxis of the Church.

Author : James Wellman Jr.,Katie Corcoran,Kate Stockly
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 353 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 2020-01-10
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780190065102

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High on God by James Wellman Jr.,Katie Corcoran,Kate Stockly Pdf

"God is like a drug, a high, [I] can't wait for the next hit." This direct quote from a megachurch member speaking about his experience of God might be dismissed as some sort of spiritually-induced drug riff. However, according to the research in this book, it was not only sincere, but a deeply felt, and sought-after sensibility. Megachurch attendees desire this first-hand experience of God, and many report finding it in their congregations. The book focuses on the emotional, social and religious dynamics that pull thousands of people into megachurches and how those churches make some feel like they are "high on God" and can't wait to get their next spiritual "hit." High on God gives the first robust and plausible explanation for why megachurches have conquered the churchgoing market of America. Without condescension or exaggeration, the authors show the genius of megachurches: the power of charisma, the design of facilities, the training of leaders, the emotional dynamics, and the strategies that bring people together and lead them to serve and help others. Using Emile Durkheim's concept of homo duplex, the authors plot the strategies that megachurches employ to satisfy the core human craving for personal meaning and social integration, as well as personal identity and communal solidarity. The authors also show how these churches can go wrong, sometimes tragically so. But they argue that, for the most part, megachurches help their attendees find themselves through bonding with and serving others.

Author : Chris Galanos
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2018-11-15
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 173286960X

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From Megachurch to Multiplication by Chris Galanos Pdf

What would cause Experience Life Church, frequently named one of the fastest-growing churches in the country, to completely change directions? Why would they risk an attendance drop and a decrease in giving in pursuit of a vision that has seldom been attempted in the American church? The leaders of Experience Life knew this journey would be risky and calculated the costs before ever beginning. They believed that following Jesus and aiming to reach millions was worth any cost. Be careful with this book. It might inspire you to risk everything you have to follow Jesus. You've been warned.

Author : Jason Lim,Terence Lee
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 265 pages
File Size : 49,6 Mb
Release : 2016-05-26
Category : History
ISBN : 9781317331520

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Singapore by Jason Lim,Terence Lee Pdf

On 9 August 2015, Singapore celebrated its 50th year of national independence, a milestone for the nation as it has overcome major economic, social, cultural and political challenges in a short period of time. Whilst this was a celebratory event to acknowledge the role of the People’s Action Party (PAP) government, it was also marked by national remembrance as founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew died in March 2015. This book critically reflects on Singapore’s 50 years of independence. Contributors interrogate a selected range of topics on Singapore’s history, culture and society – including the constitution, education, religion and race – and thereby facilitate a better understanding of its shared national past. Central to this book is an examination of how Singaporeans have learnt to adapt and change through PAP government policies since independence in 1965. All chapters begin their histories from that point in time and each contribution focuses either on an area that has been neglected in Singapore’s modern history or offer new perspectives on the past. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, it presents an independent and critical take on Singapore’s post-1965 history. A valuable assessment to students and researchers alike, Singapore: Negotiating State and Society, 1965-2015 is of interest to specialists in Southeast Asian history and politics.

Author : Ruth Tucker
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2006
Category : Small churches
ISBN : 0801012694

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Left Behind in a Megachurch World by Ruth Tucker Pdf

Designed to encourage the smaller church with a membership of around 100, this insightful and well-researched book opposes the idea that numbers are the only way to measure a church's success, and emphasizes spiritual growth and development.