Megachurches and Social Engagement – A New Book
A new book called Megachurches and Social Engagement: Public Theology in Practice, written by Mark J. Cartledge, Sarah Dunlop, Heather Buckingham and Sophie Bremner, is published last summer.
From the Publisher
This book is the first detailed academic study of megachurches in the UK. In particular, it explores the nature and significance of social engagement by megachurches in the context of London. The research contains empirical case studies of two Anglican and three African diaspora Pentecostal churches. As well as exploring the range of social engagement activities provided by these churches, the study offers explanations in term of theological motivations and the influence of globalisation. Subsequently, the book outlines the importance of the findings for the relationship between church and society in the contemporary context, addressing the implications for social policy and practice. The book advances discussions in public theology, megachurch studies, Pentecostal and Charismatic studies and ecclesiology.
About the Authors
Mark J. Cartledge is Professor of Practical Theology and Director of the Centre for Renewal Studies at Regent University School of Divinity, Virginia Beach, USA. He is a priest in the Church of England, theologian and scholar of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity.
Sarah L.B. Dunlop is Lecturer in Practical Theology at Ridley Hall, a Church of England training college in Cambridge, UK. An active member of the Ecclesiology and Ethnography Network, she is known for her work in pioneering visual ethnographic methods.
Heather Buckingham is Director of Research and Social Policy at the Church Urban Fund, Westminster, London. She holds a PhD in Sociology and Social Policy and is an Honorary Fellow at the Edward Cadbury Centre at the University of Birmingham, UK.
Sophie Bremner is a Lecturer in the School of International Development at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. She holds a PhD in International Development with expertise in the anthropology of African Pentecostal Christianity.
