A Planting of the Lord: Contemporary Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity in Australia

Abstract

Their expanding numbers, political influence, cultural impact, and financial resources are increasingly visible, yet there has been curiously little academic exploration of the extraordinary growth of Pentecostal and charismatic churches in Australia over the last forty years. Historical analysis is notably absent from the small body of existing literature on this topic. By introducing the history of modern Australian Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity, alongside an examination of the current form of the movement, this thesis addresses this scholarly gap. Using participant observation, discourse analysis, and archival research, it answers the question: how can we understand the place and form of contemporary Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity in Australia? Contemporary Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity in Australia forms a distinct social movement based on a set of shared understandings within these churches, and between Pentecostals and charismatics and wider Australian society. The secular embrace of neoliberalism and individualism, and reactions to second wave feminism, made churches that reflected these social changes—particularly through an embrace of the prosperity gospel—appealing, particularly when combined with their use of modern tools and technology to convey what are essentially conservative messages. These factors account for the growth of these churches and explains their place in Australian society. Their form is based on negotiating identity across local, national, and international demands, as well as on structuring themselves to provide a complete community for members. Finally, I argue that these churches have had a broad impact on Australian churches and society, and yet they are widely critical of the outside world, arguing that those outside their churches can never understand this evangelical movement. To illustrate this point, my thesis uses five churches as case studies: in Sydney, Hillsong and C3 are the best known and biggest Pentecostal congregations. They are analysed alongside their counterparts in Melbourne (Planetshakers) and Adelaide (Influencers Church) all of which are megachurches with multiple campuses. The fifth church I consider is Newfrontiers, which began in the United Kingdom, but has since spread across the world, including to Australia. Study of these churches reveals a movement that is growing, but is plagued by internal contradictions and a transient membership base. The thesis will explore the tensions of the movement, connecting its history and theology to Pentecostal understandings of, and interactions, with the secular world.