The Rise of Network Christianity - How Independent Leaders Are Changing the Religious Landscape (Hardcover)

Why, when traditionally organized religious groups are seeing declining membership and participation, are networks of independent churches growing so explosively? Drawing on in-depth interviews with leaders and participants, The Rise of Network Christianity explains the social forces behind the fastest growing form of Christianity in the U.S., which Brad Christerson and Richard Flory have labeled "Independent Network Christianity" (INC). This form of Christianity emphasizes aggressive engagement with the supernatural, including healing, direct prophecies from God, engaging in "spiritual warfare" against demonic spirits, and social transformation. Christerson and Flory argue that large-scale social changes since the 1970s, including globalization and the digital revolution have given competitive advantages to religious groups organized by networks rather than traditionally organized congregations and denominations. Network forms of church governance allow for experimentation with controversial supernatural practices, innovative finances and marketing, and a highly participatory, unorthodox, and experiential faith, which is attractive in today's unstable religious marketplace. Christerson and Flory argue that as more religious groups imitate this type of governance, religious belief and practice will become more experimental, more oriented around practice than belief, more shaped by the individual religious "consumer" and that authority will become more highly concentrated in the hands of individuals rather than institutions.

General

Imprint:	Oxford UniversityPress
Country of origin:	United States
Series:	Global Pentecost Charismat Christianity
Release date:	February 2017
Authors:	Brad Christerson (Professor of Sociology) • Richard Flory (Senior Director of Research and Evaluation, Center for Religion and Civic Culture)
Dimensions:	241 x 175 x 22mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover
Pages:	200
ISBN-13:	978-0-19-063567-1
Categories:	Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Christianity > Protestantism & Protestant Churches > Other Protestant & Nonconformist Churches > General Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Protestantism & Protestant Churches > Other Protestant & Nonconformist Churches > General Books > Christianity > Protestantism & Protestant Churches > Other Protestant & Nonconformist Churches
LSN:	0-19-063567-3
Barcode:	9780190635671

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