The Routledge Handbook of Megachurches Routledge Handbooks in Religion Series

The Routledge Handbook of Megachurches provides a survey of global megachurch phenomena, with an international slate of authors introducing existing and emerging research on a wide variety of relevant topics.

Over the past decade, the field of megachurch studies has matured and become global in its scope and orientation. The Handbook offers 33 chapters by top scholars in the field, focusing in particular on:

• The location, demographic nature, and transnational connections of megachurches.
• Megachurch worship, hermeneutics, and theology (in theory and practice).
• Megachurch institutional dynamics.
• The various ways that megachurches have both influenced and been influenced by their social contexts in terms of class, age, gender, sexuality, and pop culture.

The Handbook's interdisciplinary orientation makes it essential reading for sociologists, political scientists, anthropologists, media specialists, pop culture observers, business strategists, leadership consultants, marketing analysts, scholars of religion, and Christian historians, theologians, and missiologists. Experienced scholars of megachurches will gain valuable insight into aspects of megachurch research beyond their own specializations. Scholars new to the field will find the chapters useful as signposts for where to begin their own academic exploration. Christian pastors and laypeople will learn more about this increasingly prominent and influential form of their faith.

Introduction Afe Adogame, Chad M. Bauman, Damaris Parsitau, and Jeaney Yip PART I: Geographical Overviews 1. North America Scott Thumma 2. Latin America Henri Gooren, Hans Geir Aasmundsen, Joaquín Algranti, Virginia Garrard, and Ramiro Jaimes Martínez 3. Europe Abel Ugba 4. Central Africa Henrietta Nyamnjoh and Aurélien Mokoko Gampiot 5. East and Southern Africa Chammah J. Kaunda and Yabibal Teklu 6. Southeast Asia and Australia Yan Liu and Chang-Yau Hoon 7. East and South Asia Jungyeon Yi and Chad M. Bauman PART II: Transnational Connections 8. African Megachurch Missions Abroad Babatunde Adedibu 9. African Diasporia Megachurches in Europe Richard Burgess 10. Korean Diasporic Megachurches in the United States Hyemin Na 11. Transnational Lusophone Megachurches Andrew Johnson 12. Networking and Collaboration Allison L. Norton Part III: Megachurch Worship 13. The Transnationalization of Megachurch Music Tom Wagner 14. The Production and Performance of Multisensory Worship Services Katja Rakow 15. Affect, Effervescence, and the Megachurch Ritual Cycle Kate J. Stockly 16. Preaching Felicity Apaah PART IV: Hermeneutics and Theology in Practice 17. Prosperity and the Therapeutic Turn Jayeel Cornelio 18. Charismatic Gifts J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu 19. Deliverance Naomi Richman PART V: Institutional Dynamics 20. Theories of Growth Chad M. Bauman 21. How and Why People Participate in Megachurches Warren Bird and Scott Thumma 22. Leadership Ed Stetzer and Andrew MacDonald 23. Megachurches’ First Ladies Damaris Parsitau and Abimbola Adelakun 24. Marketing and the Business of God Jeaney Yip and Susan Ainsworth 25. Controversies, Scandals, and Crises Dodeye U. Williams PART VI: Social Context 26. Urbanisms and Imaginaries of Space Daniel P. S. Goh 27. Ethnicity and Multiculturalism Sarbeswar Sahoo 28. Class Terence Chong 29. Youth Wanjiru M. Gitau 30. Gender and Sexuality Kim Knibbe and Marju-Riika Komulainen 31. Social Media and Pop Culture Kathleen Openshaw and Adam Possamai 32. Aesthetics, Architecture, and Ambition Simon Coleman PART VII: Response 33. Response: Revivalism and the Meaning of Megachurches Timothy Wadkins Index

Afe Adogame is the Maxwell M. Upson Professor of Religion and Society and Chair of History and Ecumenics Department at Princeton Theological Seminary, New Jersey, USA.

Chad M. Bauman is Professor of Religious Studies and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Butler University in Indianapolis, USA.

Damaris Parsitau is Associate Professor of Religion and Gender Studies and the Director of the Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity, Calvin University, USA.

Jeaney Yip is Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Sydney, Australia.