Marketing God, Part 3
Here at The Revealer, we’re intrigued by the way religions and “spiritualities” appeal, sell, and/or market themselves to followers, or adherents, or, most crassly (most honestly?) “consumers.” These questions often arise in critiques of the most culturally aggressive varieties of evangelicalism — megachurches and movie churches and The Passion. Andrew Silow-Carroll, editor of The New Jersey Jewish News, takes a different tact in […]
Here at The Revealer, we’re intrigued by the way religions and “spiritualities” appeal, sell, and/or market themselves to followers, or adherents, or, most crassly (most honestly?) “consumers.” These questions often arise in critiques of the most culturally aggressive varieties of evangelicalism — megachurches and movie churches and The Passion. Andrew Silow-Carroll, editor of The New Jersey Jewish News, takes a different tact in an essay for Shma, in which he wonders what Jewish groups can learn from the megachurch movement: “What is often missing from Jewish communal marketing is a reflection of the bedrock vision of the institution behind the ad — the core values and purposes that the institution hopes to share with its members…” Read on, megachurchers, temple builders, and corporate culture critics…