Megachurches in Singapore: The Faith of an Emergent Middle Class

Using original research data, this paper outlines three characteristics that have contributed to the rapid rise of independent Pentecostal megachurches in Singapore. Firstly, megachurches have been very successful in attracting emergent middle-class Singaporeans. Their appeal to upwardly mobile people from working and lower-middle-class backgrounds makes them a converging point for class-transcending individuals who have a strong sense of agency. Second, megachurches are shown to be more likely to combine spirituality with market logic, and their “seeker church” mentality slightly but significantly modifies their attitudes towards homosexuals. These attitudes enable them to better engage with the contemporary marketplace as well as to appeal to young economically mobile Singaporeans generally. Third, it is argued that as part of the broader international evangelical movements, Singapore megachurches have learned to minister to the needy and disadvantaged in ways that avoid conflict with the state. Their integration of trans-nationalizing networks and local indigenizing cells also enables them to combine global connectivity with local relevance amongst distinct groups of Singapore society.

新加坡的超级教会： 新兴中产阶级的信仰

关键词：基督教，超级教会，新加坡，新兴中产阶级，新自由主义

本论文利用一手的研究数据，勾勒出三个有助于独立的五旬节派超级教会在新加坡飞速崛起的特征。首先，超级教会在吸引新加坡新兴的中产阶级方面做得非常成功。它对从工人阶级和中产阶级下层背景出身的向上流动的群体富有吸引力，这使得它成为那些具有超越阶层意识并有强烈的能动性的个人们的交汇点。其二，超级教会表现出把精神性与市场逻辑相结合的更大可能性，而且，它们“以寻道者为本的教会”心态轻微但却显著地改变了它们对同性恋者的态度。这些态度使他们能够更好地与当代市场打交道，并对经济上具有流动性的新加坡年青人普遍产生吸引力。第三，本文提出，作为更广阔的国际福音运动的一部分，新加坡超级教会已经学会怎样为困窘者和弱势群体提供服务，而避免与国家的冲突。它们整合到跨国化的国际网络以及地方上的本地化细小组织中，也使得它们能够在新加坡各种社会群体中实现全球性联系和本土相关性的结合。

Translated from English by Li Guo