Neocharismatic-evangelical Christianity in Britain : religious growth through public engagement
Year: 2016
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The thesis examines the under-studied contemporary phenomenon of White British growthfocussed, \n“apostolic” neocharismatic Christianity, in a local context. The neocharismaticevangelical \nconstituency of “Folkfield,” a city in the east of England, is sampled and analysed \nusing an ethnographic group case study, centred on two of the city’s largest churches: one, a \nHillsong-affiliated independent, the other a Newfrontiers “multi-site” church plant. Also \npresented is a sample of other local neocharismatic figures, groups and initiatives, all of \nwhich were active within the city between 2011 and 2013 when fieldwork was undertaken. \nThe case studies, having described and locally historicised the actors in question, \nfocus on the organisation of social welfare provision advanced by these groups to the local \npopulation. These services are found to be at the core of emerging efforts by charismatic \n“post-denominational” churches to incorporate themselves visibly as local public actors \nalongside secular institutions. The services are found to be designed not simply in response to \nthe local needs of the population, however, but in accordance with a given group’s internal \nculture: its religious and theo-political ideology, and the membership structures enforced by \nself-determined “apostolic” leaders. At the same time, to the extent that a biblically sectarian \ngroup does advance an agenda for public engagement, it is found in this study to be kept \nnecessarily aware of its position in a wider evangelical Christian polity (in this case, that \nspecific to Folkfield): A polity comprised of other independent churches and church leaders, \nsome allies, some not; and in which modern neocharismatic groups must also consider their \nposition within the pre-existing Christian establishment – that is for instance, whether or not \nto partake in co-operative ventures with local denominational actors, including of course the \nChurch of England. \nThe primary lens for understanding the religious subject is therefore socio-political, \ngenerating insight upon these groups as public institutions using a data record compiled \nthrough participant observation, document analysis and interviews with relevant local actors \n– neocharismatic, denominational, and secular. The thesis concludes with a summary of \npossible future avenues in research, in order to further advance the political as well as \nsociological understanding of “post-denominational” Christianity in Britain.
Author: Bradley James
Language: English
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2545072359