Global Pentecostal Studies

The Rise of Network Christianity Brad Christerson and Richard Flory have written a highly readable account of the social changes in religion that are growing and expanding throughout the world. The authors argue that independent charismatic leaders like Che Ahn, Bill Johnson, and Mike Bickle, among others, illustrate a shift from organizational patterns associated with modern religion like denominations to networks of ministries that share common objectives through relational associations. The key characteristics of post 1970s social change, according to the authors, include globalization, the digital revolution, and the rise of networks with the decline of bureaucracies. The implications of these social changes for religion include increased cultural and religious pluralism, interactive media and religious participation, and declining loyalties to organizations like denominations. In other words, social change accounts for the decline of one form of religion in particular but als...