Introduction
A 10-story-high flag hangs on Memorial Day at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, Calif., founded by Dr. Robert H. Schuller. (AP Photo/Bob Riha Jr.)
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Since the 1970s, the number of so-called megachurches — churches that attract at least 2,000 people to weekly services — has been exploding in the United States and abroad, particularly in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Many of the more than 1,200 U.S. megachurches sit on large suburban campuses and boast vast sanctuaries with multiple large TV screens and other high-tech amenities. Several serve meals at their own sprawling food courts and cafés and offer gymnasiums and other facilities. Megachurches are typically Protestant evangelical and espouse conservative positions on social issues. Church leaders are often charismatic ministers who preach the "prosperity gospel," stressing personal fulfillment and success as much as theology. Some researchers suggest megachurches are a unique, collective response to people's needs amid sweeping cultural and societal changes. But critics say megachurches are straying from their traditional religious mission by focusing on helping parishioners get rich rather than worshipping God.
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Oct. 28, 2022 |
Church and State |
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May 29, 2020 |
Christians in the Mideast |
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Sep. 28, 2018 |
Christianity in America |
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Jun. 23, 2017 |
Future of the Christian Right |
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Jun. 07, 2013 |
Future of the Catholic Church |
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Jan. 2011 |
Crisis in the Catholic Church |
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Sep. 21, 2007 |
Rise of Megachurches |
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Sep. 14, 2001 |
Evangelical Christians |
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Feb. 26, 1999 |
Future of the Papacy |
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Dec. 11, 1998 |
Searching for Jesus |
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Jul. 22, 1988 |
The Revival of Religion in America |
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Dec. 02, 1983 |
Christmas Customs and Origins |
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Jun. 10, 1983 |
Martin Luther After 500 Years |
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Aug. 08, 1975 |
Year of Religion |
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Jul. 26, 1972 |
Fundamentalist Revival |
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Jan. 04, 1967 |
Religion in Upheaval |
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Aug. 03, 1966 |
Religious Rivalries in South Viet Nam |
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Nov. 11, 1964 |
Church Tax Exemption |
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Aug. 05, 1964 |
Catholic Schools |
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Oct. 14, 1963 |
Churches and Social Action |
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Jun. 19, 1963 |
Vatican Policy in a Revolutionary World |
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Jan. 05, 1962 |
Rome and Christian Unity |
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Mar. 26, 1958 |
Church-Related Education |
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Dec. 18, 1957 |
Church Consolidation |
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Jun. 05, 1957 |
Evangelism in America |
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Jun. 23, 1955 |
Religious Boom |
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Aug. 13, 1952 |
Church Unity in America |
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Feb. 12, 1947 |
Relations with the Vatican |
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Dec. 21, 1923 |
The New Schism in the Church and the Immaculate Conception |
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