Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
7-2014
School/College
School of Communication (SOC)
Degree Name
MA in History
First Advisor
Rev. Dr. Homer Garcia
Abstract
In this thesis, I explore Black storefront churches whose populations range from threehundred to fifteen-hundred, to observe whether they are following the rubric of megachurches to stay relevant and alive in this age of advanced technology, religious pluralism, mass consumption and Black upward mobility. The mode of operation of these churches in this current religious social climate deserves scholarly exploration. The McDonaldization process has been studied extensively by George Ritzer, an American social scientists, who argues that the distinct principles (1) calculability; (2) predictability (3) efficiency; and (3) control like the fast food industry are coming to dominant every sector of western society, including religion. The principles of McDonaldization capture the arranged and systematic aspect of many of the sacred traditions and rituals within the Black Church worship experience. I am cautious in utilizing the principles of McDonaldization, because the principles occasionally undermined the fact that all religious consumers do not act uniformly. Nor can events and trends be controlled or are they foreseeable or predictable. It is my argument that the principles of McDonaldization are being practiced in Black 1 storefront churches, but not methodically. Due to this, religious services are pre-arranged for religious consumers based on the existential and spiritual needs and desires of the consumers, creating an assembly line or religious commodities for the satisfaction of religious consumers.
Recommended Citation
Brown, Deliah, "The Black Church in an Era of Mcdonaldization" (2014). Theses (Pre-2016). 140.
https://digitalscholarship.tsu.edu/pre-2016_theses/140