Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

8-2002

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Sociology

Major Professor

Donald W. Hastings

Abstract

One of the most significant developments on the religious landscape over the past 3 decades has been the emergence of the megachurch. The rapid growth of these churches, both in number of weekly attenders and in number of congregations, is changing the way American Protestants "do church." The purpose of this study is to explore the social factors that influence one's decision to attend these huge churches. Although a great deal has been written about megachurches in the religious and the popular media, little has been done from a social scientific perspective. This dissertation is intended to help correct that deficiency. A 183 item questionnaire was distributed to persons attending worship services in seven Southern Baptist megachurches. More than 1200 completed questionnaires were returned and analyzed. This lengthy questionnaire tested a variety of established theoretical models of church development. Demographic and background variables helped place attenders in the context of their own economic, religious and personal history.

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