Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: One of the most significant phenomena in organized religion over the past two decades is the development and growth of the “megachurch.” While these drastically out-sized campuses and congregations are a relatively new aspect of religious life in the United States, these very large and often very wealthy churches are already having a profound impact on the way in which Americans worship. With the capacity to effectively leverage the organizational resources and technological tools of our time—through educational programs, pastoral associations, and a wealth of materials—these churches are in a position to alter the social, economic and political circumstances of the communities in which they reside (and beyond). Given their size and potency, where they are located takes on special significance. Taking the nine states with the largest number of these entities, we assess their location within the context of a range of demographic factors.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This essay examines large-scale video displays’ (LSVDs’) rhetorical function in megachurches using Debord’s concept of the spectacle. It discusses three aspects of a specific megachurch’s use of LSVDs, and their implications for power relations with and among the congregation: that they follow common televisual motifs, that they exclude certain elements, and that they resonate with the ideological content of the service. It suggests an increased emphasis on historic Christian theology as a possible corrective.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: My dissertation examines two of the most important phenomena on the American religious landscape in the last two decades: small groups and very large churches. On the one hand, previous research on small groups has not studied the groups in their larger congregational settings. On the other hand, research on megachurches has not focused in-depth on the small groups within them. My project brings these two literatures together by studying such groups as they are situated in sponsoring congregations. How do small groups operate in the context of very large churches? How are small groups connected, both culturally and structurally, to the churches in which they reside? Do small groups integrate members into the larger church, and if so, how? To answer these overarching research questions, I study small groups in three megachurches using several methods: document analysis; in-depth interviews with clergy, staff, and selected small group leaders; participant observation in small groups; and a systematic survey of all small group leaders.