The subversive evangelical : the ironic charisma of an irreligious megachurch / Peter J. Schuurman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Schuurman, Peter J., author.

Series:

Advancing studies in religion ; 6.

Advancing Studies in Religion ; 6

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Evangelicalism--Canada.

Evangelicalism.

Big churches--Canada.

Big churches.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (383 pages).

Place of Publication:

Montreal : McGill-Queen's University Press, [2019]

Summary:

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.

Contents:

Front Matter

Contents

Tables and Figures

Preface

Acknowledgments

Wrecking “Religion” for the Love of Jesus

Caught Up in the Dramatic Web

From Street Theatre to Silver City

Irony as Liturgy

Life Together

“Irreligious” Teamwork Backstage

The “Irreligious” Paradox

Dramaturgical Trouble and the End of the Show

Epilogue

Method

Notes

References

Index

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780773558359

0773558357

9780773558342

0773558349

OCLC:

1083130240