Church Growth and Appealing Sermons: A Case Study of a Dutch Megachurch
Contrary to the ongoing trend of secularisation in the Netherlands, some religious congregations have instead experienced exceptional growth, and are currently reaching megachurch proportions. This paper focuses on one such thriving Dutch congregation, called Doorbrekers (‘those who break through’),...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2015
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| In: |
Journal of empirical theology
Year: 2015, Volume: 28, Issue: 1, Pages: 1-22 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Netherlands
/ Big church
/ Growth
/ Sermon
|
| IxTheo Classification: | KBD Benelux countries KDG Free church RB Church office; congregation RE Homiletics |
| Further subjects: | B
Megachurch
sermons
content analysis
cultural-market explanation
church-sect theory explanation
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| Online Access: |
Presumably Free Access Volltext (Verlag) |
| Summary: | Contrary to the ongoing trend of secularisation in the Netherlands, some religious congregations have instead experienced exceptional growth, and are currently reaching megachurch proportions. This paper focuses on one such thriving Dutch congregation, called Doorbrekers (‘those who break through’), and sets out to account for its appeal and attractiveness by analysing sermons delivered by the pastors of Doorbrekers; with the help of a topic list based on cultural-market and church-sect theory explanations for the emergence of megachurches. The intention is to answer the question of whether elements of both lines of explanation are present in the sermons delivered in this Dutch megachurch. Findings show that this is indeed partly the case. As it turns out, the sermons delivered in Doorbrekers offer a unique blend of theological conservatism and a more modern emphasis on the individual. Thus, the conclusion is drawn that Doorbrekers represents a new form of privatised and strict Protestantism, which seems to go rather well with certain developments in the Dutch religious landscape. |
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| Physical Description: | Online-Ressource |
| ISSN: | 1570-9256 |
| Contains: | In: Journal of empirical theology
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15709256-12341322 |