Sökarkyrkan; Marknadsförd religion mot den postmoderna sökaren? -Hur och varför ett fåtal innovativa religionsproducenter förändrar det amerikanska religiösa landskapet

Abstract

The controversial phenomenon of ―seeker-oriented‖ megachurches are currently transforming the American religious landscape. These churches, some housing up to 30,000 worshippers every week, are targeting religious seekers as their primary objective. Their success in attracting and converting those who usually wouldn‘t even think of attending church can in large parts be explained by changes in liturgy, the removal of visible theological discussion and use of shopping mall styled buildings, designed to make the religious seeker feel like home. Using supply-side theory of religious change, combined with insights made in the field of marketing, this essay takes a close look at three seekerchurch homepages to find out what kind of an offering is made to those who might consider stopping by. The web-based offer made by the churches - Saddleback Church, Willow Creek Church and Kensington Church - is thereafter brought into the context of semi-contemporary American-evangelical discussions of society as postmodern as opposed to modern. By doing that, we will see if the seekerchurches might be tailored to fit the postmodern mindset, newly freed from the certainties of modernity.