A Postmodern Narrative Examination of Identification in Christian Megachurches

Abstract

Building from Deetz’ (1992) supposition that the corporation has supplanted the church as the modern social institution, this thesis examines identification processes in Christian megachurches from a postmodern, narrative perspective. Using a deconstruction analysis of ethnographic data, collected organizational documents, and member interviews from two megachurches, this thesis frames identification in the Christian megachurch as a critical, antenarrative process of organizational storytelling (Boje, 2001) and critical dramaturgy (Boje, 2017). Findings suggest that three logics of personalization, colonization, and consumption characterize the identification process and shape the spectacle or organizational identification within the megachurches examined.