LIVRO: Brands of Faith: Marketing Religion in a Commercial Age

Mara Stein

Apresentação (clique <<<aqui>>> para baixar o livro)

In a society overrun by commercial clutter, religion has become yet another product sold in the consumer marketplace. Faiths of all kinds must compete not only with each other, but with a myriad of more entertaining and more convenient leisure activities. Brands of Faith argues that in order to compete effectively faiths have had to become brands – easily recognizable symbols and spokespeople with whom religious prospects can make immediate connections.

Mara Einstein shows how religious branding has expanded over the past twenty years to create a blended world of commerce and faith where the sacred becomes secular and the secular sacred. In a series of fascinating case studies of faith brands, she explores the signifi cance of branded church courses, such as Alpha and 40 Days of Purpose, the growth of megachurches, and the popularity of televangelists like Joel Osteen and their counterpart television talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, as well as the rise of Kabbalah. She asks what the consequences of this religious marketing will be, and outlines the possible results of religious commercialism – good and bad. Repackaging religion – updating music, creating teen-targeted bibles – is justifi able and necessary. However, when the content becomes obscured, religion may lose its unique selling proposition – the very ability to raise us above the market.

Mara Einstein is Associate Professor of Media Studies at Queens College as well as a professor at the business school at New York University. Prior to teaching, she worked as a marketing executive at NBC and MTV Networks as well as at a number of major advertising agencies.

Sumário

Series editors’ preface viii

Preface ix

1 Introduction 1

2 The changing religious marketplace 16

3 The business of religion 37

4 Branding faith 67

5 The course to God 95

6 The new televangelists 120

7 Kabbalah: marketing designer spirituality 147

8 The politics of faith brands 173

9 Has religious marketing gone too far? 192

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