The rise of megachurches has been one of the most interesting phenomenon shaking up the American religous landscape in recent decades. Dave Travis of the Leadership Network joins us to discuss what thse megachuchs are and look like. Along the way he counters some of the more frequent myths associted with these large congregations, including that they are “too large,” and “too theologically shalow.” We also think about the future of megachuches.

Use our social media buttons below to tell at least three friends about this podcast!

[ READ THE FULL ARTICLE ]

---

Prof. James Wellman (University of Washington) discusses the findings of his recent research on evangelical versus liberal Christians in the Pacific Northwest. We cover the differences in these two distinct religious subcultures in terms of their core values and how this affects their pastoral organization. The podcast concludes with speculation as to why evangelical Christianity is growing in the Pacific Northwest, whereas liberal mainline Protestantism is not.

You can now subscribe to our podcast by entering http://www.researchonreligion.org/podcast on iTunes or Zune.

[ READ THE FULL ARTICLE ]

---

Jay Hein of Baylor’s ISR and the Sagamore Institute talks about his tenure running the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in the Bush Administration. Our discussion focuses on the history and workings of the Faith-Based Initiative, and the proper relationship between government and religious organizations.

You can now subscribe to our podcast by entering http://www.researchonreligion.org/podcast on iTunes or Zune.

[ READ THE FULL ARTICLE ]

---

Economist Marc von der Ruhr (St. Norbert’s College) explains how megachurches attract and retain members, becoming one of the fastest growing segments of the American religious landscape. (To download, right click on the download button and select “save target as…”).

[ READ THE FULL ARTICLE ]

---