Sociology of Religion - Essay Example

As the centuries progressed though, other religions began to emerge and became a part of the American culture and way of life. One of the most notable religions to join the colorful landscape of faith in the country was the religious belief of the African Americans. The Black Church (Khan, Farah “The Black Church in the 20th Century”), is considered to be an African American community of such immeasurable religious, social, and political power that, in modern times, gave rise to the mega church.

The Black Church can proudly lay claim to the fact that, although it lacked funding for its congregation for a long period of time, it used whatever influence it had over the local black community to transform the lives of its followers by advocating its support for the community. The church leaders were always active participants in the social, political, and cultural arena that so influenced and affected the lives of the church members (Khan, Farah “The Black Church in the 20th Century”).. The mega church is a non-denominational Christian church that tries to differentiate itself from the traditional Christian churches that have abounded in our religious history.

The mega church has a service membership of at least 2000 uses modern techniques in order to grow their followers. The modern methods of enticing people to join them include a non-definitive view of religion that allows people to attend their church regardless of their born religious affiliation, and a church service that features (“God as a Drug: The Rise of the American Megachurches”): “. a come-as-you-are atmosphere, rock music, and .a "multisensory melange" of visuals and other elements to stimulate the senses, as well as small-group participation and a shared focus on the message from a charismatic pastor.

“ The impression delivered by the mega churches is that they recruit their members on a seemingly hypnotic basis using s sense of lifestyle and modernism that traditional religions cannot adhere to due to their traditional basis of worship and member recruitment. This is also why some people tend to view the mega churches as “consumerist religion”. The mega church has found its social significance because of the way that is has indirectly affiliated itself with the methods through which the Black Church propagated itself.

It is not uncommon for mega churches to have social groups for various interests within their congregation, and age specific worship services that are designed to indoctrinate and create disciplers of the church who can be called to action in the future. It is my personal belief that religion in American, although still of high relevance among its congregation members today, will eventually lose