Cool Christianity: Hillsong and the Fashioning of Cosmopolitan Identities

Hillsong, an Australian megachurch founded in 1983, has become a global phenomenon with branches in most global cities and award-winning worship bands that tour the world and whose music is sung weekly by an estimated 50 million people in 60 languages. Its style of Pentecostalism relies on a deep engagement with consumer capitalism, celebrity, youth, and digital cultures, and Cristina Rocha's book "Cool Christianity" explores how religion can be made globally relevant to young people through cool aesthetics, affect, and engagement with consumer culture in the digital age.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 05 March 2024
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Hillsong, an Australian megachurch founded in 1983, has emerged as a global phenomenon, with branches in most major cities and award-winning worship bands that tour the world, captivating an estimated 50 million people in 60 languages. Moreover, the megachurch and its bands have a substantial presence on social media, with millions of followers. In recent times, the megachurch has faced significant scandals related to sex and money, which have received widespread coverage in the mainstream secular media, reflecting its prominence. Hillsong's style of Pentecostalism is deeply intertwined with consumer capitalism, celebrity culture, youth, and digital cultures. In her book "Cool Christianity," Cristina Rocha explores how Hillsong's "Cool Christianity" aesthetic has gained traction among the Brazilian middle classes, who have embraced Hillsong's brand of Christianity as a means of becoming cosmopolitan and establishing class boundaries. Rocha draws on the theoretical frameworks of material religion and lived religion to demonstrate how religion can be made globally relevant to young people in the digital age through the use of cool aesthetics, emotional engagement, and a connection with consumer culture. From fashion to music to branding, Hillsong has successfully tapped into the interests and aspirations of young people worldwide, making it a powerful force in the religious landscape.

Weight: 364g
Dimension: 156 x 235 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197673201