Recent Research Projects                                                                                                                                                      Six Flags Over Jesus

Six Flags Over Jesus: Changing Religious Landscapes of the Deep South

Once dotting the rural roadsides of the American South, the small, white, clapboarded Baptist Church is rapidly disappearing.  Replacing them are the less ubiquitous and far more grandiose Baptist and non-denominational mega-churches sited in locations traditionally associated with retail.  Often, complete with day care facilities, gymnasiums, computer classrooms and civic meeting areas and frequently erected at a cost well over 10 million dollars, the new religious landscape of the South seems to signal a significant change in the cultural, economic and theological context of the region.  The emerging landscape is discussed and implications of its emergence are explored.  Specific themes include, site location strategies, parking issues, interpretations of core church goals, tensions within the congregation and among competing congregations and links to historical southern landscape iconography.

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If you have questions or comments, please contact me at steve.graves@csun.edu