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SpiritChurch: A Case Study of Consumer Ritual Symbolic Practices
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While sociologists have been observing the growing commodification of religion in a larger consumer culture, there has been little study of particular congregations and ways they engage religion as a consumer product. This may be due to a lack of theoretical clarity on how religion is engaged as something to be consumed. Building on the work of structural ritualization theory (Knottnerus 1997, 2002, 2005), this paper argues that rituals, more specifically consumer ritualized symbolic practices (CRSPs), offer a clear theoretical framework in which to identify religious consumption. This theoretical approach provides a basis for a case study of a mega church located in the Sunbelt. Consumer Ritual Symbolic Practices (CRSPs) are identified within the particular congregation through observation, interviews, and analysis of institutional documents. The focus of this paper is on those CRSPs engaged by the staff in the mega church. These include CRSPs that create religion as a brand name; create religion as a spectacle, and create religion as a rationalized provider of services.
Introduction
“New Lifers like the benefits, risks, and maybe above all, the excitement of a free-market society…to harness the force of free-market capitalism in our ministry.”
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While sociologists have been observing the growing commodification of religion in a
larger consumer culture, there has been little study of particular congregations and ways
they engage religion as a consumer product. This may be due to a lack of theoretical
clarity on how religion is engaged as something to be consumed. Building on the work of
structural ritualization theory (Knottnerus 1997, 2002, 2005), this paper argues that
rituals, more specifically consumer ritualized symbolic practices (CRSPs), offer a clear
theoretical framework in which to identify religious consumption. This theoretical
approach provides a basis for a case study of a mega church located in the Sunbelt.
Consumer Ritual Symbolic Practices (CRSPs) are identified within the particular
congregation through observation, interviews, and analysis of institutional documents.
The focus of this paper is on those CRSPs engaged by the staff in the mega church. These
include CRSPs that create religion as a brand name; create religion as a spectacle, and
create religion as a rationalized provider of services.
Introduction
“New Lifers like the benefits, risks, and maybe above all, the excitement of a free-market
society…to harness the force of free-market capitalism in our ministry.”
2
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