|
|
Article: The rise and rise of the Pentecostals: in an era of doubt, an imposed set of values and the promise of wealth are proving a successful recipe for the Pentecostal churches.(Essay)
- Article from:
- Arena Magazine
- Article date:
- December 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Arena Printing and Publications Pty. Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
At Sydney's Hillsong Church in Baulkham Hills--more purpose-built entertainment centre than cathedral of contemplation--the congregation lines up for a communal baptism, plunging their entire bodies in a huge pool that emerges from beneath the stage. Next comes a form of spontaneous prayer consisting of a primitive babble or 'talking in tongues', some worshippers falling to the ground in a trance, before the stage retracts and the immersion in economic glory begins.
Solarium-hued, smooth-talking salespeople, church leaders Brian and Bobbie Houston claim to bring financial prosperity to their followers, sharing their materialistic preachings with the congregation ...