Evangelical Mega Churches Summary

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Evangelical Mega Churches and the Mobilization of Social Outreach Moral Ambition is a well written ethnography which delves into the realms of social outreach within Evangelical mega churches in Knoxville, Tennessee. Omri Elisha chose to observe two churches over an unspecified period of time gathering information on how social outreach is mobilized to the inner-city from mega churches located in the suburban muddle-upper class neighborhoods of Knoxville. The first was Marble Valley Presbyterian, a traditional protestant church with a two-hundred year past which maintains strong emphases on biblical instruction, pastoral leadership, and missionization. And secondly, he attended Eternal Vine Church which embraced an unconventional approach to Christianity; reshaping how the Gospel is presented to reach younger generations of religious seekers. The differing values of each church were beneficial for Elisha’s research as it expressed how social,…show more content…
He not only presented one side of an argument, he also presented the other in a manner that is equally relevant to the first. Elisha begins his ethnography proposing asking what makes evangelical mega churches successful. The popular evangelical response contains the general assumption: “They combine an atmosphere of growth and adaptability with a commitment to high moral standards and the appearance of uncompromising religious pedagogy”. (Elisha 54) On the other hand, religious and secular critics argue that evangelicals “promote cults around celebrity pastors, fetishizing wealth and prosperity, and wasting valuable resources on flashy luxuries like Jumbotrons”. (Elisha 52) It was helpful, as a reader, to understand the popular perception surrounding evangelical mega churches before delving into a full discussion about social outreach. It shaped my understand and got me thinking consciously about the pending
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