Hollywood Faith: Holiness, Prosperity, and Ambition in a Los Angeles Church - Book Review

Many thanks to Kathleen Hladky at Florida State University (her recent article) who provided a review of my book Hollywood Faith for the H-Pentecostalism thread of Humanities and Social Sciences (H-Net) Reviews Online, a powerful consortium of scholars attempting to provide timely updates of new research.

In the review, she concludes:

Throughout Hollywood Faith, Marti contributes to the study of Pentecostalism and contemporary Christianity by drawing attention to topics too often overlooked by scholars of religion: the relationship between religion and work, multiracial Christian congregations, and the Word of Faith movement.

Overall, her reading of my book shows great sensitivity to the layered themes on religion, economics, and race found there.

You can read the full review here.

Crossing the Ethnic Divide - New Award for Book on Multiracial Church in Los Angeles

Congratulations to Kathleen Garces-Foley whose book

Crossing the Ethnic Divide:
The Multiethnic Church on a Mission

received an Outstanding Academic Title award from CHOICE reviews. Way to go Kathleen!

In awarding Outstanding Academic Title status, the editors of CHOICE apply these criteria:

• overall excellence in presentation and scholarship
• importance relative to other literature in the field
• distinction as a first treatment of a given subject in book or electronic form
• originality or uniqueness of treatment
• value to undergraduate students
• importance in building undergraduate library collections

This is one of several recent in-depth studies (along with A Mosaic of Believers, People of the Dream, The Elusive Dream, and Hollywood Faith) published on churches that have successfully diversified.

Crossing the Ethnic Divide focuses on the ethno-racial diversity of the dynamic, pan-Asian Evergreen Baptist Church in Los Angeles. The church is pastored by Ken Fong.

My review of the book appeared in the September 2008 issue of the Review of Religious Research. In it, I write about one of the most important themes of the book: how Crossing the Ethnic Divide focuses on the church's theology of discomfort.

From my review:

Awkward inter-cultural interactions at church connect with the highest ideals for evangelizing the entire world. Theological significance extends to even the most minor inconveniences as the “cost” of diversity is a “sacrifice” for the sake of the gospel. Rather than seeing Christian spirituality as a means to ease suffering or remove all discomforts, racial reconciliation is hard work requiring sacrifices from everyone. Members experience “spiritual challenges” which give a sense of purpose and self-esteem. Living outside of one’s “comfort zone” becomes a sign of Christian maturity.

I also appreciate how the book describes the unique role of boundary crossers:

“Boundary crossers” are critical for the successful diversification of the congregation as they are effective at finding alternative bases for forming social ties away from race-ethnicity.

Yet as the author notes, “the challenge for the church trying to become multiethnic is how to attract those who want to be in diverse settings to a church that is not yet diverse” (p. 131). Leaders must build a critical mass of underrepresented ethnic-racial groups to attract boundary crossers.

There's much more in the book, and other very positive book reviews have been published, like Russell Jeung's here and Rebecca Y. Kim's here .

You can take a look at the book itself through Google Books preview.

Check Out My First Book - On Religious Innovation and Racial Diversity

A Mosaic of Believers: Diversity and Innovation in a Multiethnic Church
by Gerardo Marti

Now Available! 2nd edition paperback

Reviews

"... Engagingly and accessibly written... deserves wide readership among everyone interested in US religion, ethnicity, organizations and urban culture." -- Choice

"...fascinating...offers valuable insights...This book will be of great interest to scholars of religion in America..." -- Sociology of Religion Fall 2006

"...highly readable... easily used in an undergraduate course...engaging...useful for a graduate course...I look forward to reading Marti's future work." -- Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

"...of methodological value to students of new religious movements...will help observers of other groups as well." -- Novo Religio, 10, 3 Feb. 2007

"Marti's argument seems to be that such a complex project can succeed..." -- Contemporary Sociology, 36, 1 Jan. 2007

"Anyone wishing to gain a deeper understanding of American evangelical diversity, of the emergent church movement, and of intriguing congregational efforts to bridge ethnic divides, will want to read this book." --Christian Scholar's Review

Brief Highlights
"Mosaic" in Southern California is one of the largest multiethnic congregations in America, and also one of the most innovative. This book takes us inside this unusual church.

A Mosaic of Believers shows how the church achieved multiethnicity, not by targeting ethnic groups, but by providing multiple havens of inclusion and commonality that render ethnic differences moot. These havens are arenas for multiethnic companionship, cooperation, and camaraderie that arise out of a union of creative volunteer resources and the ambitious global mission of the church.

A Mosaic of Believers reveals a congregation aiming to reconstruct evangelical theology, personal identity, member involvement, and church governance in an attempt to create an institution with greater relevance to the social reality of a new generation. Based on interviews and participation with the congregation and grounded in contemporary sociological theory, the book presents a rich portrait of an emerging religious community.

Full Reviews Available Online

Marti, Gerardo. A Mosaic of Believers: Diversity and Innovation in Multiethnic Church

CHOICE Reviews, January, 2006, by K.D. Lyon

A Mosaic of Believers: Diversity and Innovation in a Multiethnic Church
Sociology of Religion, Fall, 2006, by Kathleen Garces-Foley

Multiethnic Mix: Review of A Mosaic of Believers: Diversity and Innovation in a Multiethnic Church

The Christian Century, July 26, 2006, by R. Stephen Warner

Check Out My New Book: Hollywood Faith

Now Available:

Hollywood Faith: Holiness, Prosperity, and Ambition in a Los Angeles Church
by Gerardo Marti

Review
"This cutting-edge analysis of where religion may be heading is theoretically sophisticated and yet highly readable." - Donald E. Miller, Executive Director of the Center for Religion and Civic Culture, University of Southern California

Brief Highlights
In Christianity, as with most religions, attaining holiness and a higher spirituality while simultaneously pursuing worldly ideals such as fame and fortune is nearly impossible. So, how do people pursuing careers in Hollywood's entertainment industry maintain their religious devotion without sacrificing their career goals? For some, the answer lies just two miles south of the historic center of Hollywood, California, at the Oasis Christian Center.

Hollywood Faith shows how a multiracial evangelical congregation of 2,000 people accommodates itself to the entertainment industry and draws in many striving to succeed in this harsh and irreverent business. Oasis strategically sanctifies ambition and negotiates social change by promoting a new religious identity as "champion of life" - an identity that provides people who face difficult career choices and failed opportunities a sense of empowerment and endurance.

The first book to provide an in-depth look at religion among the "creative class," Hollywood Faith will fascinate those interested in the modern evangelical movement and anyone who wants to understand how religion adapts to social change.

Review of Hollywood Faith at H-Net Humanities and Social Sciences Review here.

Read more about me and the book here and here.

You can scroll through a Google preview of the book here.