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Mighty Fortresses: Explaining the Spatial Distribution of American Megachurches
Author(s) -
KARNES KIMBERLY,
McINTOSH WAYNE,
MORRIS IRWIN L.,
PEARSONMERKOWITZ SHANNA
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal for the scientific study of religion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.941
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1468-5906
pISSN - 0021-8294
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-5906.2007.00355.x
Subject(s) - worship , context (archaeology) , economic geography , distribution (mathematics) , range (aeronautics) , religious life , geography , sociology , history , political science , law , mathematics , religious studies , philosophy , archaeology , mathematical analysis , materials science , composite material
One of the most significant phenomena in organized religion over the past two decades is the development and growth of the “megachurch.” While these dramatically large campuses and congregations represent a relatively new aspect of religious life in the United States, they are already having a profound effect on the way in which Americans worship through their size and often their wealth. Given their size and increasing numbers, where they are located takes on a special significance. We assess their location within the context of a range of demographic and economic factors in those states in which they are most prevalent.