the310.net

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1605&CFID=8597108&CFTOKEN=71412680

This is quite a long article, but some interesting snippets -

Advertising has begun to seep into churches, and the phenomenon shows
no signs of slowing down, say academic, religious and marketing
experts. Among the wave of early adopters: the Republican Party,
which successfully sold its platform to church-goers in the 2000
and 2004 elections; Hollywood, which discovered the economic power
of faith when Mel Gibson’s church-marketed film “The Passion of
the Christ” became a blockbuster; and publishing, with Rick Warren’s
best-selling The Purpose-Driven Life, heavily marketed by a
Christian publishing house.

But megachurches have changed the face of Sunday mornings, combining
the latest technology, a casual Starbucks-like atmosphere and upbeat
preaching to draw in crowds of thousands. They offer a particularly
tantalizing opportunity for those intent on network or “word-of-mouth”
marketing, a strategy that capitalizes on social relationships to
spread product information and influence purchasing, according to
Wharton marketing professor Patti Williams.  “Megachurch members are
drawn together by a strong common bond.  Networks that exist
naturally facilitate word-of-mouth marketing, because people tend to
share information with those they are close to,” she says.

But why is it many feel, instinctively, that the market and the
church should inhabit distinct spheres? The Constitution mandates
the separation of church and state, but the relationship between
church and commerce is largely unregulated. One answer may lie in the
gospels themselves, where Jesus spoke frequently about the dangers
of wealth, warning that “you cannot serve both God and mammon.”
More dramatically, he overturned the tables of businessmen inside
the Jewish temple and drove them out with a whip, saying
“Make not my Father’s house a house of merchandise.”
The dangers of commerce intruding — or being invited — into churches
are “infinite” from a religious point of view, says Jethani, who is
one of two pastors at an “accessibly-sized” congregation of
400 in Wheaton, Ill. “Christianity comes to be viewed, not as
submission to Christ and love of your neighbor, but an identity
like any other, defined by what you buy, who you vote for, what
entertainment you consume. Becoming so cozy with the methodology of
business completely warps the message of the New Testament.”