From Megachurch to Metachurch

This book serves as the first study of the Universal Church as a global institution and as the model of neo-Pentecostalism.Previously the subject of research in Brazil, where studies tend to focus solely on the political and ideological, David Lehmann instead balances these themes alongside the devotional and ritual. The book guides us through the church’s global infrastructure from Brazil and the rest of the world. Led by Edir Macedo, the UCKG comprises bishops, pastors and assistants, with groups like Caleb, Youth Victory, Godllywood, and Intellimen serving various demographics. Also explored is the church’s gendered system, such as the phenomenon of the childless ‘pastoral couple’, gendered self-improvement networks and the church’s messaging on relationships, ‘love therapy’ and even dating apps.Visiting 32 churches in 13 countries across Europe, North America, Spanish America, Brazil and even Israel, David reveals UCKG influence and reach, encapsulated by the church’s very own Temple of Solomon in São Paulo. This book features a plethora of ethnographic research from across these locations including extensive conversations with pastors, church members and assistants over several years. Also explored is the nature of the ritual and supernatural in neo-Pentecostalism, the church’s use of social media to spread its teachings, and a challenge to the secularization thesis, demonstrating the UCKG’s fusion of religious and secular domains.