“Every accent, every emphasis, every modulation” of Whitefield’s voice, Franklin observed, was “perfectly well tuned and well placed.” The feeling Whitefield evoked reminded him of the pleasure he experienced when listening to “an excellent piece of music.”įranklin soon learned, however, that attending a Whitefield performance was not free. In Whitefield he discovered a brilliant innovator who blended drama with faith, blurring the lines between religion and entertainment. Whitefield was quickly becoming the greatest celebrity in colonial America, drawing crowds in the tens of thousands, and Franklin wanted to know why. The churches that expect to survive better know how to market themselves.In 1739, Benjamin Franklin went to hear itinerant evangelist George Whitefield preach in Philadelphia. The conclusion: people are not growing more religious, but they are shopping and switching brands like never before. They adapt rock and hip-hop to Christian themes. He finds that the successful ministers (he calls them pastorpreneurs) study television instead of condemning it. Jim Twitchell examines the phenomenon of religion in America today, often from the inside, as he travels to traditional churches and megachurches, analyzing their success at attracting new customers and retaining the old ones. And they are attracting the worshippers who are leaving the mainline denominations. They are designed to appeal to everyone and to offend no one. They promote a generalized Christianity, sometimes with not even a cross in evidence.
Jesus threw the moneylenders out of the Temple the megachurch pastors have brought the merchants inside. Today the megachurches send e-mails every day, provide ample parking, child care, refreshments, and entertainment before, during, and after services. Religious marketing used to consist of a sign on the lawn in front of the church with some clever saying ( God answers knee-mail ).
Those churches that know how to market themselves are thriving those that don't may not be here in another couple of generations. Shopping for God has become a international pastime. Today nearly 50 percent of the Christian population switches denominations. Two generations ago few people switched from the faith of their parents. The Presbyterians, Lutherans, Methodists, and Episcopalians are hanging on, but the evangelicals are growing like crazy. Religious-themed movies now open at churches rather than multiplexes, and why not: the churches hold more people, have comparable sound systems, and outnumber the theatres 4 to 1. From the President of the US -a born-again Christian who says Jesus is his favourite philosopher and who claimed to talk to Jesus before going to war - to Hollywood stars, who now make movies with Aramaic dialogue or star in television shows where they are as likely to play angels as people, religion is everywhere.
0 kommentar(er)
