Globalization, Mega-churches and Politics: study of new forms of leadership in the evangelical world in Argentina

JOAQUIN ALGRANTI

Universidad de Nanjin y Shanghai

Conferencia; Globalization and Religious Pluralism; 2010

Center for Global Studies (Shanghai University) and Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies (Nanjing University)

Culture-related globalizing processes can be firstly understood as a rearticulation of both global and local elements within different society domains. This perspective reaches the specific way in which religious organizations develop a historical synthesis between both dimensions of cultural life. Following these leads, we can say that some of the most important innovations introduced by Neo-Pentecostalism –as the fastest growing expression of the evangelical world- are linked to the consolidation of mega-churches (Gramby-Sobukwe y Hoiland, 2009) in middle and high class neighborhoods and the training of evangelical leaders on a large scale. Both these innovations develop in correlation with the discursive production of social change and the Gospel’s shift towards the “world”, that is to say, a christian call to transform their social environment reaching positions of power and authority. The aim of this paper is to explore the political implications of Evangelical leadership in mega-churches located in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This work is based on original materials, compiled for a research project using ethnographic techniques such as participant observation, in-depth interviews and documentation review.