Megachurches and Social Engagement in London

近年来，全球兴起了一些非常大的教堂，大多数位于城市及其郊区，引起了神学家，教会领袖和宗教社会学家的注意。这些教堂被称为“大教堂”，为了方便起见，通常被定义为：新教教堂吸引超过2000名参加者每周崇拜。在美国，在某种程度上在亚洲（主要是韩国）和非洲（例如尼日利亚），但在欧洲（例如法国），仅在非常有限的意义上，对巨型蝗虫现象进行了广泛的研究。因此，在一个跨国运动时期，在伦敦这样的全球城市的背景下考虑这些教会的性质，并理解它们与更广泛的社会，特别是社会参与的关系中的重要性，是非常及时的。本研究的主要目的是调查伦敦大教堂社会参与的性质，并解释这种参与对公众的意义神学，阐明对宗教信仰和社会的政策影响。社会参与的例子包括与青年、老年人和无家可归者等特定群体合作，为有学习困难和心理健康需要的人提供咨询和支助，社区发展和教育项目，以及社会运动，例如反对人口贩运或支持地方和社区的需要。本研究的结果对英国政府以及地方政府的公共政策具有重要的借鉴意义。它被认为是一个公共神学项目（即神学如何解决教会社区以外更广泛的公众关注的问题），但将使用社会学，文化研究和社会/公共政策的理论见解。数据将收集从十个案例研究，构成了伦敦的大教堂使用定性研究方法。这些数据将从理论上分析跨国主义，全球化，城市化，宗教社会资本和神学动机。这项研究将审查这些教会的性质，它们如何与不同的自愿和法定机构互动，它们是否为共同利益作出贡献，如果是，如何以及以何种方式作出贡献。这些问题在欧洲政治和经济不稳定的时期特别及时，因为这种情况往往会影响教会的身份，更广泛的世界观和社会参与程度。该项目的调查结果将通过不同的媒体传播：将开发一个网页来介绍该项目并告知公众。本网页将重点介绍有关大教会社会参与活动的重要信息，以及团队成员和主要大教会人物的播客，探讨社会参与活动的公众和神学意义。将组织两次会议，一次是启动该项目，邀请学者、教会领袖、教会研究人员和利益攸关方、基督教媒体和主流新闻机构的宗教记者。将建立一个“信仰和社会参与协商”，以便在整个项目期间分享调查结果，并邀请所研究的教会和准教会组织以及地方和国家政府决策者的代表参加。在第二次会议上，将提出一份报告，提出主要结论和建议供政策审议。最后，一本两卷本的合著书将根据十个案例研究撰写，有助于关于信仰和公共领域的公共神学辩论，特别是大规模社会参与的作用。

In recent years the global rise of a number of very large churches, most often located in cities and their suburbs, has caught the attention of the theologians, church leaders and sociologists of religion. These churches have been labelled 'megachurches' for the sake of convenience and are normally defined as: Protestant churches attracting over 2000 attendees for the sake of worship each week. The megachurch phenomenon has been studied extensively in USA, to some extent in Asia (mostly Korea) and Africa (e.g. Nigeria) but only in a very limited sense in Europe (e.g. France). Therefore, it is extremely timely to consider the nature of these churches in the context of a global city such as London during a period of transnational movement and to understand their significance in relation to wider society and especially social engagement.Therefore, the central aim of this project is to investigate the nature of social engagement among megachurches in London and to interpret the significance of this participation for public theology, elucidating the policy implications for religious faith and society. Examples of social engagement include work with specific groups, such as youth, the elderly and the homeless, counselling and support of people with learning difficulties and mental health needs, community development and educational projects, as well as social campaigning, for example against human trafficking or in favour of local and community needs. The findings of this research will have significance for UK government as well as local government public policy. It is conceived as a project in public theology (i.e. how theology addresses issues of broader public concern outside the community of the church) that will nevertheless use theoretical insights from sociology, cultural studies and social/public policy. Data will be collected from ten case studies that constitute the megachurches of London using qualitative research approaches. This data will be analysed theoretically in relation to transnationalism, globalization, urbanization, religious social capital and theological motivations. The study will examine the nature of these churches, how they interact with different voluntary and statutary bodies and whether they contribute to the common good and if so how and in what ways. These questions are particularly timely during a period of political and economic uncertainty in Europe because such circumstances often feed into the churches' identity, broader worldview and level of social engagement.The findings from this project will be disseminated through different media: a webpage will be developed to profile the project and inform the general public. This webpage will highlight key information on megachurch social engagement activities, and, later, podcasts from team members and key megachurch figures that explore the public and theological significance of the social engagement activities. Two conferences will be organized, one to launch the project, inviting academics, church leaders, church-based researchers and stakeholders, the Christian media and religion correspondents from mainstream news agencies. A 'Faith and Social Engagement Consultation' will be established in order to share findings through the period of the project and invite participation among representatives from the churches under study and para-church organisations and local and national government policy makers. At the second conference a report will present the main findings and recommendations for policy consideration. Finally, a two-volume co-authored book will be written based on ten case studies, contributing to the public theology debate about faith and the public sphere and in particular the role of megachurch social engagement.