"Do business till he comes": the business of housing god in Singapore megachurches
Religion and business are often seen as inhabiting separate social spheres, yet megachurches combine them in ways that reflect their context. Operating in a country that combines state control and growth-oriented economic pragmatism, New Creation and City Harvest churches in Singapore manage their c...
| Main Author: | |
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| Contributors: | |
| Format: | Print Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
University of British Columbia
2015
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| In: |
Pacific affairs
Year: 2015, Volume: 88, Issue: 2, Pages: 237-257 |
| Further subjects: | B
Church
B Singapore B Evangelical movement B Economic behavior B Religious organization B Christianity B Economic development B Church building B Religious movement B Marketing |
| Summary: | Religion and business are often seen as inhabiting separate social spheres, yet megachurches combine them in ways that reflect their context. Operating in a country that combines state control and growth-oriented economic pragmatism, New Creation and City Harvest churches in Singapore manage their church-building projects to fulfil both state regulatory and church organizational objectives. Each church in their own way uses the discourse and techniques of marketing managerialism to promote growth, including through significant building projects justified in terms of their religious mission. As a business discourse, marketing managerialism not only leaves its imprint on church language, but has oriented these churches towards self-perpetuating business practices which target some particular types of churchgoers whilst excluding others. We argue that they also illustrate a recursive relationship between religion and business in which each sphere of discourse legitimizes the other. (Pac Aff/GIGA) |
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| ISSN: | 0030-851X |
| Contains: | In: Pacific affairs
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