Copyright and Use of This Thesis This Thesis Must Be Used in Accordance with the Provisions of the Copyright Act 1968
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
COPYRIGHT AND USE OF THIS THESIS This thesis must be used in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Reproduction of material protected by copyright may be an infringement of copyright and copyright owners may be entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. Section 51 (2) of the Copyright Act permits an authorized officer of a university library or archives to provide a copy (by communication or otherwise) of an unpublished thesis kept in the library or archives, to a person who satisfies the authorized officer that he or she requires the reproduction for the purposes of research or study. The Copyright Act grants the creator of a work a number of moral rights, specifically the right of attribution, the right against false attribution and the right of integrity. You may infringe the author’s moral rights if you: - fail to acknowledge the author of this thesis if you quote sections from the work - attribute this thesis to another author - subject this thesis to derogatory treatment which may prejudice the author’s reputation For further information contact the University’s Copyright Service. sydney.edu.au/copyright A Planting of the Lord: Contemporary Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity in Australia Elizabeth Miller A thesis submitted in fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Sydney 2015 0 Declaration of Originality This thesis contains no material that has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university or institute of higher learning. I affirm that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work. I certify to the best of my knowledge that all sources of reference have been acknowledged. Elizabeth Miller August 2015 1 Abstract Their expanding numbers, political influence, cultural impact, and financial resources are increasingly visible, yet there has been curiously little academic exploration of the extraordinary growth of Pentecostal and charismatic churches in Australia over the last forty years. Historical analysis is notably absent from the small body of existing literature on this topic. By introducing the history of modern Australian Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity, alongside an examination of the current form of the movement, this thesis addresses this scholarly gap. Using participant observation, discourse analysis, and archival research, it answers the question: how can we understand the place and form of contemporary Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity in Australia? Contemporary Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity in Australia forms a distinct social movement based on a set of shared understandings within these churches, and between Pentecostals and charismatics and wider Australian society. The secular embrace of neoliberalism and individualism, and reactions to second wave feminism, made churches that reflected these social changes—particularly through an embrace of the prosperity gospel—appealing, particularly when combined with their use of modern tools and technology to convey what are essentially conservative messages. These factors account for the growth of these churches and explains their place in Australian society. Their form is based on negotiating identity across local, national, and international demands, as well as on structuring themselves to provide a complete community for members. Finally, I argue that these churches have had a broad impact on Australian churches and society, and yet they are widely critical of the outside world, arguing that those outside their churches can never understand this evangelical movement. To illustrate this point, my thesis uses five churches as case studies: in Sydney, Hillsong and C3 are the best known and biggest Pentecostal congregations. They are analysed alongside their counterparts in Melbourne (Planetshakers) and Adelaide (Influencers Church) all of which are megachurches with multiple campuses. The fifth church I consider is Newfrontiers, which began in the United Kingdom, but has since spread across the world, including to Australia. Study of these churches reveals a movement that is growing, but is plagued by internal contradictions and a transient membership base. The thesis will explore the tensions of the movement, connecting its history and theology to Pentecostal understandings of, and interactions, with the secular world. 2 Acknowledgments Acknowledgements go first to my supervisors, Frances Clarke and Carole Cusack. They guided, prodded, encouraged, and edited with cheer and insight. It has been a pleasure to work not only within the Department of History but also with the Department of Studies of Religion, and I am lucky to have worked with an extraordinary woman from each. If my writing is ever nearly as graceful or my breadth of knowledge almost as wide as either of theirs, I shall consider myself fortunate indeed. I so very grateful to you both. I am grateful too to have had feedback from Penny Russell, Andrew Fitzmaurice, and particularly Mike McDonnell in the Department of History. It has been a privilege to have been part of the Department and I am grateful for the financial support it offered. Funding for research trips through both the Department and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences allowed me to follow the churches I studied around Australia and the world. Particular thanks are also due to the staff of the following libraries: Fisher; Alphacrucis; the State Libraries of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia; the British Library; Gladstone’s Library; Fuller Theological Seminary Library; and Azusa Pacific University Library. As a participant observer I owe a huge debt to church members I spoke to. Even though I was an outsider I always felt welcome, and several church members devoted a considerable amount of time to showing me around their churches and telling me about their faith. My work, my understanding of their churches, and my life is richer for having met such kind and interesting people. I would like to acknowledge particularly the members and elders of Newfrontiers. Terry Virgo encouraged the project while it was just an idea percolating at the back of my mind, while Peter and Susan Brooks invited me to their home and their church services and introduced me to many members of their church. Their son, Samuel, was incredibly patient in answering questions and consistently encouraged me to explore his religion from an academic point of view. I owe the Brooks family a large debt. My first inkling that I might be interested in religious history was firmly encouraged by the most inspiring historian and teacher I have met. John Campbell was my mentor, my editor, 3 and my friend. I would not have had the courage to undertake a PhD without his encouragement, and his death remains a terrible loss to all who knew him. I had a group of proof-readers who I feel truly privileged to call my friends. Many, many thanks to: Sean Cosgrove, Hannah Forsyth, Chi Chi Huang, Meaghan Lanfear, Courtney Phillips, Amelia Rochford, Paul Taylor, Georgina Toms, and Emily Wares. Thanks also to the postgraduates at the University of Sydney who struggled through early drafts and offered encouragement along the way. I wrote most of this thesis sitting in a shed in my parent’s garden. My father had built the shed as a cubby house for my sister and I as children and it had had stood derelict for a decade. I do not think my parents expected that, at twenty-three, I would reclaim the cubby house. Mum and Dad: I am sure that many times you wished you had let me quit studying while I was ahead; I am desperately glad you did not. Thanks not only for reading endless drafts, but for housing and loving me. It seems I have not quite grown out of asking endless questions about the world (and I am starting to suspect I never will) and your forbearance in first answering those questions and now encouraging me to find the answers is much appreciated. Final thanks go to Rose Miller. My sister, best friend, and partner in crime. She travelled with me to church services and conferences on three continents, read drafts, and provided laughter, tea, and baked goods at times of stress (and when it was called for, stiff drinks too). Rose: your love and support made this thesis possible and so to you, this work is dedicated. 4 Table of Contents Declaration of Originality .............................................................................................................. 1 Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................... 3 Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... 5 List of Illustrations ......................................................................................................................... 7 Abbreviations .................................................................................................................................. 9 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 10 Welcome home ...........................................................................................................................