The Kingdom, The Power & The Glory
Scott Thumma's dissertation The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: Megachurches In Modern American Society, Emory Univ. 1996
It can be obtained from UMI 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Phone: 800-521-0600 http://www.umi.com. My research was funded by a Louisville Institute Fellowship. I want to thank Nancy Ammerman and R. Stephen Warner for their comments and encouragements. This is copyrighted so please honor the copyright. Thank you
Brief Sociological Explanation of Paulk's and CHHC abusive situation
DISSERTATION TABLE OF CONTENTS
PROLOGUE. 1
CHAPTER ONE : THE STUDY OF A MEGACHURCH CONGREGATION... 7
FOCUS ON THE STUDY OF CONGREGATIONS........... 9
MEGACHURCHES ON THE RELIGIOUS HORIZON........... 10
A Particular Megachurch........... 13
METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS........... 14
My Entrance: The Right Place at the Right Time ........... 17
An Aside -- The Meaning of Membership........... 19
Juggling My Multiple Roles........... 21
HOW THE TALE UNFOLDS........... 27
CHAPTER TWO: FOUNDATIONS OF THE KINGDOM 29
THE SOUTHERN CONTEXT ........... 30
THE SEED OF THIS GENERATION........... 32
A FIRM FOUNDATION IN THE FAITH ........... 35
A Sectarian Beginning ........... 35
A Father's Success........... 39
A Pentecostal Preacher's Kid ........... 41
THE SECOND GENERATION SECTARIAN........... 43
A PROGRESSIVE SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN........... 45
A DENOMINATIONAL PLAYER........... 46
THE CITY AND CIVIL RIGHTS........... 49
THE BEST OF TIMES........... 52
A FALL FROM GRACE........... 53
CHAPTER THREE: IN SEARCH OF A VISION (1960-1972) 60
WESTWARD TO A LAND OF PROMISE........... 61
A Vision of a Return to the Lions' Den........... 62
The Birth of a New Identity........... 63
THE PERFECT POPULATION........... 66
A TABERNACLED TIME OF CONGREGATIONAL TRANSITION........... 67
THE HARVESTER FAMILY........... 68
THE STRUGGLE FOR SUCCESS........... 70
INSTITUTIONAL INDEPENDENCE........... 72
PREACHING REBIRTH -- FALLEN BUT FORGIVEN........... 74
A Key to Everything -- Paulk's Allegorical Sermons........... 75
The Forcefully Spoken Word........... 78
LIFE AT GOSPEL HARVESTER ........... 79
Laboring in the Field -- Outreach to the Community........... 80
Civil Rights Involvement........... 82
CHANGING WITH THE TIMES........... 84
CHAPTER FOUR: THE LITTLE CHURCH BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD (1973-1976) 88
THE SUBURBS OF MILK AND HONEY ........... 89
REFUGE FOR A NEW FLOCK........... 91
BODY LIFE ........... 96
A Congregational Family ........... 98
Familial Relationships........... 99
Success and Prosperity........... 102
A Practical Message........... 104
Orderly Charisma........... 107
QUESTIONS OF AUTHORITY........... 109
Relational Authority........... 110
CHAPTER FIVE: PRELUDE TO THE KINGDOM (1976-1978).... 116
CHARISMATIC RENEWAL........... 117
THE CHARISMATIC CONDUIT........... 122
Paulk's Charismatic Conversion ........... 123
The Congregational Conflict over Lynn........... 126
INFLUENCE OF THE LATTER RAIN MOVEMENT........... 128
A BLENDING OF INFLUENCES. . . . . . . . 130
THE WORLD OF THE SPIRIT . . . . . .131
The Spiritualizing of Authority........... 136
A Singular Authority........... 140
Re-Legitimating Authority........... 142
Structuring the Spirit........... 145
A Special Spiritual Purpose........... 148
LIFE IN THE END TIMES........... 150
SUCCESS EQUALS PROOF ........... 151
CHAPTER SIX: SUCCESS: PROOF OF THE PROPHET (1978-1980) .... 154
THE BIRTH OF ALPHA........... 155
The Attraction of Charisma and Sex . . . . .159
Rock and Roll Appeal ........... 161
Cult Appeal -- Adolescent Rebellion........... 163
Refuge and Family Appeal ........... 164
Success Appeal........... 171
A MIXED BLESSING: ALPHA AND THE CHURCH........... 173
A Parental Authority........... 174
Prophetic Confirmation........... 176
PAULK VERSUS THE BOARD ........... 177
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION........... 178
THE CONGREGATIONAL CHARACTER -- AFTER ALPHA........... 183
A Growing Diversity........... 184
We're Not Like Anybody!........... 189
Alpha and Worship........... 191
Alpha and Doctrine ........... 193
THE KINGDOM OF GOD HERE AND NOW........... 195
CHAPTER SEVEN: THE ULTIMATE KINGDOM (1981-1984).... 202
A TROUBLED CONTEXT 204
ORGANIZING THE ORGANIZATION........... 207
Spiritualizing the Organization........... 208
Re-Forming Ministry 211
Ordering the Media........... 213
Bringing Form to Worship........... 214
Building Order........... 216
ORGANIZING THE PEOPLE........... 220
Shepherding the Flock........... 221
A Kingdom Christian at All Times........... 227
Our Christian Dues........... 228
Our Christian Rewards........... 230
ORGANIZING THE THEOLOGY........... 233
Kingdom Ideas........... 236
Dualism but not Dualism ........... 238
Kingdom Relationships........... 239
Confirmation of the Kingdom........... 242
ORGANIZING PAULK'S IDENTITY........... 245
Founder........... 245
Presbytery Father ........... 246
Prophet........... 247
Bishop........... 249
Multiple Bases of Authority........... 252
ORGANIZING THE CONGREGATION'S IDENTITY........... 255
An Atypical Local Church........... 256
First among many Brethren........... 257
Atlanta: Spiritual Capital of the World........... 258
A Demonstration of the Kingdom........... 260
CHAPTER EIGHT: THE TESTING OF THE KINGDOM (1985 - 1987). . . . 264
INTERNAL CHALLENGES ........... 265
Disappearance of the Dissenters........... 266
Cracks In Covering........... 270
Conflicts over Charisma . . . . 272
Organizational Necessities........... 273
Orderly Respectable Worship........... 275
Planting for the Next Generation........... 277
PROVOKING EXTERNAL CHALLENGES........... 280
The Hunt for Seducers........... 282
The Clash of Televangelists........... 283
The Scholarly Critique........... 285
A SUCCESSFUL TOTAL KINGDOM ........... 288
Signs of Success........... 290
The Power of Racial Diversity........... 294
Benefits of the Kingdom........... 299
Local, National, and International Exposure........... 301
Suffering for the Kingdom’s Sake........... 303
A ROSE IS A ROSE, IS A ROSE........... 309
CHAPTER NINE: THE TRIUMPHANT CHURCH (1988 - 1990).... 314
A MEGACHURCH CONGREGATION........... 316
THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE VISION........... 323
A Local Demonstration ........... 325
A Demonstration to Government........... 332
A National Demonstration ........... 336
A Demonstration to the World........... 337
THE CENTER OF A CITY OF HOPE 339
A CLOUD ON THE HORIZON?........... 343
CHAPTER TEN: THE SPOILING OF THE KINGDOM (1991- )... 347
THE FORCES OF EROSION........... 349
The World Congress ........... 349
Bearing the Cross of a Cathedral ........... 350
Who Are These Spectators?........... 353
Breaking The Ties That Bind........... 359
A TENUOUS ENVIRONMENT........... 361
THE JUDAS SPIRITS........... 362
THE COUNTER-OFFENSIVE........... 369
The Success of a Full Cathedral ........... 370
Satan Attacks Success........... 373
I Told You So... ........... 374
We Are All Family........... 375
SICK WITH DESPERATION........... 378
STAY FOR THE VISION! ........... 381
THE NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS ........... 384
THE VISION IS YOURS -- DO SOMETHING TO SAVE IT ........... 387
A "WILD KINGDOM"........... 389
It Is Not My Fault........... 390
It Is God's Fault........... 393
Those Shaken Loose........... 394
"SO THERE IS SOME TRUTH TO THESE RUMORS!"........... 398
THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE........... 402
ANOTHER SPIRITUAL SOLUTION........... 406
A CALM BEFORE ANOTHER STORM . . . . .. . 408
THE BEST DEFENSE IS A GOOD OFFENSE........... 410
THE LAST CHAPTER?........... 414
CHAPTER ELEVEN: MEGACHURCHES -- A NEW WAY OF BEING RELIGIOUS.... 418
This Chapter has been updated somewhat at http://hirr.hartsem.edu/bookshelf/thumma_article2.html Newer information about megachurches can be found at http://hirr.hartsem.edu/megachurch/megachurches.html
THE STORY OF ONE MEGACHURCH........... 418
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF MEGACHURCHES ........... 427
A Recent Social Phenomenon ........... 427
Mega-Sized........... 428
A Suburban Sunbelt Home........... 432
Functionally Nondenominational........... 433
Three Expressions of One Basic Message ........... 434
A Distinctive Visionary Identity........... 439
Something For Everyone ........... 441
An Innovative Spiritual Entrepreneur ........... 444
The Membership of a Megachurch........... 447
Networks of Like-minded Congregations........... 457
MEGACHURCHES: A MODERN CULTURAL FIT........... 460
A Mega Institutional World ........... 461
The Modern Megachurch Member . . . . 463
The Religious Reality . . . . . . .465
Megachurches -- A Symbolic Presence in American Society........... 466
BIBLIOGRAPHY
METHODOLOGICAL APPENDIX
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