Great risk for the kingdom: Pentecostal-charismatic growth churches, pastorpreneurs, and neoliberalism

Abstract

Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity ("PCC") has successfully navigated the challenges modernityposes to religion, growing rapidly in the twentieth century. Toward the end of the twentieth century,however, neoliberalism began its ascent to its current hegemonic status. Neoliberalism reconfiguressocial institutions as marketized practices with a measurable 'payoff'. PCC adapted to this challengein the form of a "growth churches," adopting many of the characteristics of neoliberalism. In adoptinga homogenous model and method of 'best practice' in order to facilitate growth; offering a 'prosperity'theology that fits well with the development of human capital; and endorsing the universalization ofrisk through modelling "pastorpreneur" leadership, it is argued in this chapter that growth churchesare a paradigmatic example of a late modern religious phenomenon accommodating neoliberalism in alargely uncritical manner. The chapter concludes with some observations that critique this associationbetween neoliberalism and growth churches.