Black Mega-Churches in the Internet Age: Exploring Theological Teachings and Social Outreach Efforts

The research on Black mega-churches has been limited at best. To date, little is known about theological teachings of Black mega-churches. Other primary characteristics of Black mega-churches are even less understood, e.g., how these institutions promote their theological teachings online. Consequen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of African American studies (New Brunswick, N.J.) N.J.), 2011-06, Vol.15 (2), p.155-176
Main Authors: Martin, Pamela P., Bowles, Tuere A., Adkins, LaTrese, Leach, Monica T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African American churches
African American leadership
African Americans
Blacks
Christianity
Churches
Community Needs
Community Relations
Influence
Internet
Outreach Programs
Political Science
Race identity
Racial Discrimination
Regional and Cultural Studies
Religion
Religious aspects
Sermons
Social Change
Social Sciences
Social Support Groups
Sociology
Teaching
Technology application
Technology Integration
Theology
Websites
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Summary:The research on Black mega-churches has been limited at best. To date, little is known about theological teachings of Black mega-churches. Other primary characteristics of Black mega-churches are even less understood, e.g., how these institutions promote their theological teachings online. Consequently, in this study, Black mega-church websites constitute a data source for examining links between theological teachings and community needs. Specifically, this qualitative study of Internet-mediated research examines the websites of 12 Black mega-churches via content analyses of sermons and information regarding various outreach programs found on their web pages. Results indicate four broad theological themes: honoring the Holy Spirit, heavenly minded, Biblical principles, and social legacy. The findings reveal that these themes were related to the social outreach efforts of the 12 Black mega-churches. Research implications for future studies of Black mega-churches are discussed.
ISSN:1559-1646
1936-4741
DOI:10.1007/s12111-011-9181-2