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McChurch

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McChurch is a McWord used to suggest that a particular church has a strong element of entertainment, consumerism or commercialism which obscures its religious aspects. The term is sometimes used as a derogatory synonym for megachurch.

Elements of a McChurch

The precise origins of the term McChurch are unclear, dating back to at least the early 1990s. Prominent media sources using the term include:

  • Charles Colson's 1994 book The Body, which describes a McChurch that the author attended in Japan. The author also uses the term "Hot Tub Religion" to express the same sentiment.
  • Robert McClory's 1992 article "Superchurch", published in the U.S. alternative newsweekly [The Chicago Reader]]. This article describes Willow Creek Community Church, a megachurch in South Barrington, Illinois as a McChurch.
  • Maine State Representative Stan Moody's 2006 book "McChurched" which describes a pervasive consumerism in the evangelical Christian community. Moody, a Democrat, attributes this sentiment to the incorporation of Republican pro-capitalist influence into the religious community.
  • Dan Schaeffer's article "McChurch" in the 2002 issue of the Christian-themed Plain Truth Magazine. Schaeffer states that many Christian churches have "gone Las Vegas" in order to grow their congregations.

Elements of a McChurch common to these and other sources include the following:

  • Gift shops, coffee shops, and other revenue-generating amenities incorporated into the main structure of the church building.
  • Services focus on presentation, via skits or music, at the expense of doctrinal discussion.
  • Placement in suburban or exurban areas to attract an upper middle class clientele, ostensibly to boost donations.
  • Participation in other revenue-generating activities, such as selling curriculum materials or franchising.

Despite these common elements, the term is understood differently by conventional (secular) and Christian media sources. Secular sources, such as McClory and Moody contend that a McChurch promotes socially conservative political philosophy. On the other hand, Christian sources such as Colson and Schaeffer define a McChurch's theology as unduly permissive, especially with respect to sexual behavior, which both authors suggest is a ploy to boost membership and donations.

A number of similar derogatory words having somewhat the same connotation of McChurch have arisen, including "God Incorporated," "ChristCo," "Six Flags Over Jesus," "McJesus," "Fort God", "Religion Lite", "McEucharist" and "Krispy Kreme Christianity".

See also

References

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