University of South Carolina Scholar Commons Theses and Dissertations 2015 Crabgrass Piety: The Rise of Megachurches and the Suburban Social Religion, 1960-2000 Nathan Joseph Saunders University of South Carolina - Columbia Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd Recommended Citation Saunders, N. J.(2015). Crabgrass Piety: The Rise of Megachurches and the Suburban Social Religion, 1960-2000. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from http://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/3091 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CRABGRASS PIETY: THE RISE OF MEGACHURCHES AND THE SUBURBAN SOCIAL RELIGION, 1960-2000 by Nathan Joseph Saunders Bachelor of Arts University of South Carolina, 2002 Master of Arts in Teaching Duke University, 2003 Master of Divinity Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2008 Master of Arts University of South Carolina, 2012 Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History College of Arts and Sciences University of South Carolina 2015 Accepted by: Lawrence B. Glickman, Major Professor Bobby J. Donaldson, Committee Member Paul H. Harvey, Committee Member Lauren Rebecca Sklaroff, Committee Member Lacy Ford, Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! © Copyright by Nathan Joseph Saunders, 2015 All Rights Reserved. ii ! ! ! ! Dedication To Ruthanne, Lillian, and Abraham, my treasures and To Roger, Kathy, and Matthew Saunders, and Elsie Granger (1916-2013), the reasons I became an historian iii Acknowledgements I loved Ruthanne from the beginning, and even though it took her awhile to come around, when she did she was committed all the way. She married me even though she knew I wanted to go to graduate school. She was even bragged on me to her friends. She is obviously very special, and although she probably deserves to be married to a megachurch pastor, she always lets me know she is glad she said yes when I asked. Lillian had no say in whether or not her dad started graduate school in a city two hours away when she was only four months old, but she went with it. Some people say they cannot imagine having children in graduate school. I cannot imagine not having one. Nothing helps the writing process like when your four-year-old grabs one of your books, pulls a chair up next to your desk, and tells Mommy she is going to study with Daddy. When I was in the third grade, Roger and Kathy Saunders refused to take me back to school to get a book I forgot I needed to study for a test. I got a D on the test, and that day changed my study habits forever. What also changed my study habits forever was having a brother like Matthew. I never knew anything other than working hard and striving for excellence were options, because Matthew was my example. High expectations and lots of love have gone a long way. Speaking of love, his wife Lara has never shown me anything but that. I look forward to spending the next several decades hanging out with them and watching Maddie and Luke and Lillian and Abraham grow up together. ! iv One of the best things about graduate school was getting to reconnect with my old friend George Cooper and making a new friend in his wife, Lauren. They certainly did not have to let me stay at their house one or two nights each week while I was in graduate school, but there is no way I would have finished had they not. Little do they know I actually finished two years ago, but I just kept coming to Columbia because I wanted to keeping spending time with them. At his own doctoral defense Clint Page called me his brother, and the feeling is mutual. We have been through a lot together since 1994, and his brilliance deserves much more recognition than it has yet received. But the best things in life usually have little to do with others recognizing our brilliance and much to do with eating buffalo wings while watching a Ric Flair match from 1987. Clint provides times like those in abundance. Lauren Sklaroff has encouraged and challenged me to tighten up my writing and arguments since my first semester in graduate school, and I will always be grateful. Larry Glickman is the one who challenged me to expand my study to include all megachurches. His office was open when I needed to talk, and his willingness to advise me even after moving to a new university speaks to his commitment and his generous spirit. Bobby Donaldson is always good for a lengthy conversation about church, race, South Carolina history, or whatever else. I also appreciate his kindness in giving me work during graduate school and in shepherding me through the interview process that got me my current job. Paul Harvey took time out of his busy schedule to serve on the committee of a doctoral student he had never met two thousand miles away. All four of these committee members provided valuable encouragement at critical times, and for that I am very, very thankful. ! v Ron Atkinson was not on my committee, but he was instrumental in my growth as a scholar. A great teacher and mentor, he has become a great friend too. He has helped me in countless ways, including my golf swing. Speaking of which, now that the dissertation is complete, we can look forward to a few rounds together. I used to think I did not have that many friends, but a number of people who have encouraged me come to mind as I write this. Bartges and Brett helped me through some tough times, and made me interact with others when I wanted to hide. My nephews Cody and Cameron brightened my days, and in the process gave me a crash course in being a dad. Rod has become great friend, and I am proud to call him my brother-in-law. Sheila welcomed me into her family, and has always been supportive. The Granger clan, especially my aunts and uncles (Judy and Ben, Mary and Billy, Scarlett and Dale) were always interested, encouraging, and most importantly, loving. Granny Saunders’ love was always there, too, and her courage, strength, and gentleness continue to be an inspiration. Thank you all. ! vi Abstract Although there were less than twenty megachurches (churches averaging over two thousand in weekly attendance) in the United States before 1960, by 2010 there were approximately fifteen hundred. Megachurches are not a homogenous group, but they exist in all parts of the country and they have enough in common to warrant their identification as part of a coherent trend in American evangelical culture. Specifically, most megachurches appeal to an ethos that emerged in the 1970s and 1980s known as the suburban social religion. The suburban social religion combined to differing degrees the American civil religion described by Robert Bellah, meritocratic consumerism, the Therapeutic Moralistic Deism described by Christian Smith, and a faith in managerial science. With respect to church structure, the suburban social religion placed a high value on running the church as a business and giving worshippers what they wanted. These values meshed well with those of the Church Growth Movement. The suburban social religion helped engender the celebration and emulation of entrepreneurial pastors, entertaining worship services, and therapeutic messages. It also fit well with the center- right political discourse of the national Republican Party. Megachurch growth provoked a number of critics, who in the early 1990s severely chastised large churches for catering to consumerism. Finally, American megachurches connected with large churches in other parts of the world. These large churches in many cases predate the rise of American vii megachurches, and have become important centers in an emerging global evangelical megachurch culture. Although new megachurches will continue to appear, and existing ones will remain strong for many years to come, they have not managed to arrest the secularization of American society. Megachurches are in fact a prime example of the church’s loss of influence over other social spheres. Furthermore, in most communities megachurches have failed to stop the overall decline of religious adherence rates among Protestants. They have nevertheless become the most visible evangelical cultural institutions in most metropolitan areas. An understanding of megachurches therefore deepens an understanding of how American communities have changed more generally since 1970. viii ! ! Table of Contents Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iv Abstract ............................................................................................................................. vii List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... x List of Figures .................................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1: Megachurches ................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2: Entrepreneurs .................................................................................................. 39 Chapter 3: Entertainers