Marketing Mania
It seems every culture has its own struggles keeping errors out of the Gospel worldview. In Latin America, people who a legitimately saved sometimes have a hard time letting go of the veneration they give to the virgin. In former communist countries, some struggle to grasp the truth that they need to share their faith. American Christianity struggles with the materialistic influence that the American Dream brings to the Gospel.
And not in ways that you would think of, necessarily, although there are plenty of us materialistic Christians. One of the more pervasive ways American Christianity has been influenced by materialism is through salesmanship and marketing. Think about it. How did the entire previous generation interpret the Great Commission? Neatly thought out, simple sales presentations of their interpretation of the Gospel. Condense the greatest truth in the universe down to an easy to memorize and present message with the goal of producing easy to count converts.
The other big way this is seen today in the church is in the addiction that American Churches have to programs that are easy to market with cool slogans and logos. Instead of having the church busy with people and community, everything the church does has to be planned, programmed, and easy to market. We even have the convenient “commercial break” in all of our worship services.
Admittedly, those other two examples at the top are more problematic theologically speaking, while this seems more methodology. However, what you do reflects a lot of what you believe. Practice equals theology.
And not in ways that you would think of, necessarily, although there are plenty of us materialistic Christians. One of the more pervasive ways American Christianity has been influenced by materialism is through salesmanship and marketing. Think about it. How did the entire previous generation interpret the Great Commission? Neatly thought out, simple sales presentations of their interpretation of the Gospel. Condense the greatest truth in the universe down to an easy to memorize and present message with the goal of producing easy to count converts.
The other big way this is seen today in the church is in the addiction that American Churches have to programs that are easy to market with cool slogans and logos. Instead of having the church busy with people and community, everything the church does has to be planned, programmed, and easy to market. We even have the convenient “commercial break” in all of our worship services.
Admittedly, those other two examples at the top are more problematic theologically speaking, while this seems more methodology. However, what you do reflects a lot of what you believe. Practice equals theology.
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