Do you want to stay informed about this journal? Click the buttons to subscribe to our alerts.
Fear Not, for I Am with You Again (Socially Distanced): A Qualitative Thematic Analysis of Megachurch Post-covid Lockdown Re-opening Videos on Facebook
In: Journal of Religion, Media and Digital CultureAbstract
Churches in the United States closed their doors to in-person gatherings during the covid-19 lockdown in March of 2020. As conditions improved, churches began re-opening to indoor worship services, instituting safety measures to comply with cdc guidelines. Churches used social media to promote their re-opening to their congregations. With the goal of evaluating the video messages of churches promoting their re-opening, the study analyzes the content of Facebook videos from non-denominational megachurches between June and October 2020. This qualitative thematic analysis explores how the videos address the threat of covid-19, the risk of attending in-person services, and the efficacy of health and safety measures. The inductive analysis was sensitized by the extended parallel processing model, ritual communication theory, and the concept of security theater. The themes identified have potential implications for future religious and health communication research, especially concerning contentious safety protocols, managing fear and anxiety, liability concerns, livestreaming technology, and more digitally transient congregations.
Purchase
Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Institutional Login
Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials
Personal login
Log in with your brill.com account
-
Abdel-Fadil, M. and Årsheim, H. Introduction: Media and Religious Controversy. Journal of Religion, Media and Digital Culture 8 (1), pp. 1–10.
-
Abundant Living Faith Center. (2020, June 13). Church Is Open Tour. [Video Post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/alfcelpaso/videos/261521828253856.
-
Achenbach, J., & Rozsa, L. (2020, October 27). Some Americans Refuse to Wear Masks Even as Their Hometowns Become Covid-19 Hot Spots. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/mask-wearing-coronavirus-hot-spots/2020/10/27/71001546-1883-11eb-82db-60b15c874105_story.html.
-
Addo, P. C., Jiaming, F., Kulbo, N. B., & Liangqiang, L. (2020). covid-19: Fear Appeal Favoring Purchase Behavior Towards Personal Protective Equipment. The Service Industries Journal, 40 (7–8), pp. 471–490.
-
Barna, G. (1988). Marketing the Church. NavPress.
-
Belardinelli, S., & Gili, G. (2022). Credibility, Trust, and Suspicion: Social Relationships Put to the Test by Covid-19. Church, Communication and Culture 7 (1), pp. 91–113.
-
Bryson, J. R., Andres, L., & Davies, A. (2020). covid-19, Virtual Church Services and a New Temporary geography of Home. Tijdschrift Voor Economische En Sociale Geografie 111 (3), pp. 360–372.
-
Burge, R. P. (2020, June 23). White Evangelicals’ Coronavirus Concerns Are Fading Faster. ChristianityToday.Com. https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2020/june/evangelicals-covid-19-less-worry-social-distancing-masks.html.
-
Campbell, H. A. (2007). Who’s Got the Power? Religious Authority and the Internet. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 12 (3), pp. 1043–1062.
-
Campbell, H. A. (2012). Understanding the Relationship Between Religion Online and Offline in a Networked Society. Journal of the American Academy of Religion 80 (1), pp. 64–93.
-
Campbell, H. A. (2017). Surveying Theoretical Approaches Within Digital Religion Studies. New Media & Society 19 (1), pp. 15–24.
-
Campbell, H. A. (2021). Digital Creatives and the Rethinking of Religious Authority. Routledge.
-
Campbell, H. A., & Dyer, J., eds. (2022). Ecclesiology for a Digital Church: Theological Reflections on a New Normal. SCM Press.
-
Campbell, H. A., & Evolvi, G. (2020). Contextualizing Current Digital Religion Research on Emerging Technologies. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies 2 (1), pp. 5–17.
-
Campbell, H., & Shepherd, T. (2021). What Should Post-Pandemic Religion Look Like?: 10 Trends Religious Groups Need to Understand to Survive and Thrive in the Next Decade. Oak Trust.
-
Carey, J. W. (2009). Communication as Culture: Essays on Media and Society (revised). Routledge.
-
Casidy, R. (2013). How Great Thy Brand: The Impact of Church Branding on Perceived Benefits. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing 18 (3), pp. 231–239.
-
Chen, L., Yang, X., Fu, L., Liu, X., & Yuan, C. (2019). Using the Extended Parallel Process Model to Examine the Nature and Impact of Breast Cancer Prevention Information on Mobile-Based Social Media. JMIR MHealth and UHealth 7 (6).
-
Christ Fellowship Church. (2020, July 27). Church Family Update. [Video Post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=601800780762053.
-
Christ the King Community Church. (2020, September 9). We’re Gathering Again! [Video Post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=601800780762053.
-
Church of the Highlands. (2020, June 17). We Are So Excited to Move Forward With Our Plan to Host In-Person Services THIS Sunday. [Video Post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=275097320509887.
-
Community Bible Church. (2020, June 24). CBC Weekly: June 24, 2020. [Video Post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=271666590609176.
-
Cornerstone Church. (2020, May 16). Welcome Back. [Video Post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=601800780762053.
-
Cosgrove, J. (2020, November 9). L.A. Megachurch Pastor Mocks Pandemic Health Orders, Even as Church Members Fall Ill. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-11-08/la-pastor-mocks-covid-19-rules-church-members-ill.
-
Covenant Church. (2020, September 9). Welcome Back Weekend Is Happening THIS SUNDAY. [Video Post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1613441772181901.
-
Cutler, B. D. (1991). Religion and Marketing: Important Research Area or a Footnote in the Literature? Journal of Professional Services Marketing 8 (1), p. 153.
-
Database of Megachurches in the U.S. (2015). Hartford Institute for Religion Research. http://hirr.hartsem.edu/megachurch/database.html.
-
Dey, I. (1993). Qualitative Data Analysis: A User Friendly Guide for Social Scientists. Routledge.
-
Dias, E. (2020, March 15). A Sunday Without Church: In Crisis, a Nation Asks, “What Is Community?” New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/15/us/churches-coronavirus-services.html.
-
Dyer, J. (2022). Exploring Mediated Ekklesia: How Do We Talk About Church in the Digital Age? In: H. A. Campbell & J. Dyer, eds., Ecclesiology for a Digital Church: Theological Reflections on a New Normal, SCM Press, pp. 3–16.
-
Einstein, M. (2008). Brands of Faith: Marketing Religion in a Commercial Age. Routledge.
-
epic Church International. (2020, June 12). Great News Beginning June 20! [Video Post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=641860903340091.
-
Family Christian Center. (2020, June 14). We Are Live! [Video Post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=601800780762053.
-
Flatirons Church. (2020, September 29). Jim Burgen on Reopening Church. [Video Post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=457056725228347.
-
Free Chapel. (2020, August 21). Revival Sunday | This Sunday @ Free Chapel. [Video Post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/freechapel/videos/308295883828819.
-
Gateway Church. (2020, July 2). What to Expect. [Video Post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=584063815615595.
-
Heilweil, R. (2020, September 18). Religious Leaders Are Becoming Content Creators to Keep Their Followers Engaged. Vox. https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/9/18/21443661/religion-logging-off-online-engagement-content-creators.
-
Hutchings, T. (2017). Creating Church Online: Ritual, Community and New Media. Routledge.
-
Insurance Board. (2020). Navigating covid Liabilities With Your Church. InsuranceBoard.Org. https://www.insuranceboard.org/navigating-covid-liabilities/.
-
Jennings, T. W. (1982). On Ritual Knowledge. The Journal of Religion 62 (2), pp. 111–127.
-
Kapoor, V., Belk, R., & Goulding, C. (2022). Ritual Revision During a Crisis: The Case of Indian Religious Rituals During the covid-19 Pandemic. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 07439156221081485.
-
Kaur, H. (2020, May 24). 4 Reasons Why the Rush to Reopen Churches Goes Beyond Politics. cnn. https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/24/us/churches-reopening-state-orders-trnd/index.html.
-
Kenneson, P. D., & Street, J. L. (1997). Selling Out the Church: The Dangers of Church Marketing. Abingdon Press.
-
Kim, J. Y. (2020). Analog Church: Why We Need Real People, Places, and Things in the Digital Age. InterVarsity Press.
-
Lancendorfer, K. M., & Reece, B. B. (2010). Can You Market God? A Case Study of the “God Speaks” Social Marketing Campaign: Can You Market God? International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing 15 (4), pp. 324–338.
-
Latkin, C. A., Dayton, L., Strickland, J. C., Colon, B., Rimal, R., & Boodram, B. (2020). An Assessment of the Rapid Decline of Trust in US Sources of Public Information About covid-19. Journal of Health Communication 25 (10), pp. 764–773.
-
Lee, J., & Hong, I. B. (2016). Predicting Positive User Responses to Social Media Advertising: The Roles of Emotional Appeal, Informativeness, and Creativity. International Journal of Information Management 36 (3), pp. 360–373.
-
Lee, Y.-J. (2018). Is Your Church “liked” on Facebook? Social Media Use of Christian Congregations in the United States. Nonprofit Management and Leadership 28 (3), pp. 383–398.
-
León, B., López-Goñi, I., & Salaverría, R. (2022). The covid-19 Catastrophe: A Science Communication Mess? Church, Communication and Culture 7 (1), pp. 6–22.
-
Leventhal, H. (1971). Fear Appeals and Persuasion: The Differentiation of a Motivational Construct. American Journal of Public Health 61, pp. 1208–1224.
-
Lives Changed by Christ. (2020, June 16). Regathering at LCBC—June 27/28/29. [Video Post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/lcbcchurch/videos/1707460796088224.
-
McDaniel, S. W. (1986). Church Advertising: Views of the Clergy and General Public. Journal of Advertising 15 (1), pp. 24–29.
-
McDaniel, S. W. (1989). The Use of Marketing Techniques by Churches: A National Survey. Review of Religious Research 31 (2), pp. 175–182.
-
Moore, R. L. (1994). Selling God: American Religion in the Marketplace of Culture. Oxford University Press.
-
New York Times. (2020). See How All 50 States Are Reopening (and Closing Again). https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/states-reopen-map-coronavirus.html.
-
Newport, F. (2020, May 8). The Religion paradox. Gallup. https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/310397/religion-paradox.aspx.
-
North Point Community Church. (2020, July 14). covid-19 Update. [Video Post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2614124478806025.
-
Northview Church. (2020, August 26). An Update on Regathering. [Video Post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2334908869967443.
-
Outreach 100: 2020 Largest Churches in America. (2020). Outreach.com. https://outreach100.com/largest-churches-in-america.
-
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods (4th ed.). Sage.
-
Percy, M. (2000). The Church in the Market Place: Advertising and Religion in a Secular Age. Journal of Contemporary Religion 15 (1), pp. 97–119.
-
Perry, S. L., Grubbs, J. B., & Whitehead, A. L. (2020). Culture Wars and covid-19 Conduct: Christian Nationalism, Religiosity, and Americans’ Behavior During the Coronavirus Pandemic. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 59 (3), pp. 405–416.
-
Pulkkinen, L. (2021, August 10). White Evangelical Churches and the Crisis of Vaccine Hesitancy. US News. https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-08-10/white-evangelical-churches-and-the-crisis-of-vaccine-hesitancy.
-
Rappoport, J. Z. (2020, August 7). COVID-19 and Security Theater. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mapping-humanity/202008/covid-19-and-security-theater.
-
Rogers, K. (2021, December 22). How Safe Is It to Attend Holiday Religious Services as the Omicron Variant Spreads? Experts Weigh In. cnn. https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/10/health/church-safety-pandemic-wellness/index.html.
-
Rogers, R. W. (1975). A protection motivation theory of fear appeals and attitude change. The Journal of Psychology, 91(1), 93–114.
-
Rogers, R. W. (1983). Cognitive and Physiological Processes in Fear Appeals and Attitude Change: A Revised Theory of Protection Motivation. In: J. Cacioppo & R. Petty, eds., Social Psychophysiology, Guilford Press, pp. 153–176.
-
Romer, D., & Jamieson, K. H. (2020). Conspiracy Theories as Barriers to Controlling the Spread of covid-19 in the U.S. Social Science & Medicine 263, 113356.
-
Roso, J., Holleman, A., & Chaves, M. (2020). Changing Worship Practices in American Congregations. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 59 (4), pp. 675–684.
-
Rothrock, L., Abraham, A., Graf, A., Rodopman, M., & Nold, D. (2021). Aiding Decision Makers to Reopening of Places of Worship. Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing & Service Industries 31 (4), pp. 349–359.
-
Schnabel, L., & Schieman, S. (2021). Religion Protected Mental Health but Constrained Crisis Response During Crucial Early Days of the covid-19 Pandemic. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 61 (2), pp. 530–543.
-
Schneier, B. (2007, January 25). In Praise of Security Theater. Wired. https://www.wired.com/2007/01/in-praise-of-security-theater-2/.
-
Seacoast Church. (2020, June 13). Safety Guidelines for Worship Services. [Video Post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=804553960287730.
-
Sen, B. (2017). Information as Ritual: James Carey in the Digital Age. Cultural Studies ↔ Critical Methodologies 17 (6), pp. 473–481.
-
Shepherd, K. (2020, May 5). Masks Become a Flash Point for Protests and Fights as Businesses, Beaches and Parks Reopen. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/05/05/masks-protests-coronavirus/.
-
Smith, G. A. (2021). U.S. Religious Life Slowly Returns to Normal Amid covid-19 Pandemic (p. 33). Pew Research Center. https://www.pewforum.org/2021/03/22/life-in-u-s-religious-congregations-slowly-edges-back-toward-normal/.
-
Stolz, J., & Usunier, J.-C. (2019). Religions as Brands? Religion and Spirituality in Consumer Society. Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion 16 (1), pp. 6–31.
-
Thumma, S. (2012). Megachurches. In: M. Juergensmeyer & W. C. Roof, eds., Encyclopedia of Global Religion, Sage, pp. 775–776.
-
Twitchell, J. B. (2004). Branded Nation: The Marketing of Megachurch, College, Inc., and Museumworld. Simon & Schuster.
-
Viskupič, F., Wiltse, D. L., & Meyer, B. A. (2022). Beyond Vaccination: Messaging From Religious Leaders Can Help Increase Adherence to covid-19 Mitigation Guidelines Following Vaccination: A Research Note. The Social Science Journal, 1–10.
-
Vokurka, R. J., & McDaniel, S. W. (2004). A Taxonomy of Church Marketing Strategy Types. Review of Religious Research 46 (2), pp. 132–149.
-
Wang, W. (2022, January 20). The Decline in Church Attendance in COVID America. Institute for Family Studies. https://ifstudies.org/blog/the-decline-in-church-attendance-in-covid-america.
-
Willow Creek Community Church. (2020, August 9). Gathering Update—South Barrington. [Video Post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/willowcreekcc/videos/382362112747685.
-
Wingfield, M. (2020, September 10). Judge Issues covid Restraining Order Against Defiant MacArthur and Church. Baptist News Global. https://baptistnews.com/article/judge-issues-covid-restraining-order-against-defiant-macarthur-and-church/.
-
Witte, K. (1992). Putting the Fear Back Into Fear Appeals: The Extended Parallel Process Model. Communication Monographs 59 (4), p. 329.
-
Wolberg, J. M. (2012). Theories About Health and Advertising. In: S. Rodgers & E. Thorson, eds., Advertising Theory, Taylor & Francis Group, pp. 507–526.
-
Woo, E. (2020, August 26). Santa Clara Church Fined $15,000 for Holding Indoor Services. The Mercury News. https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/08/26/coronavirus-santa-clara-church-fined-10000-for-holding-indoor-services/.
-
Worthen, M. (2014). Apostles of Reason: The Crisis of Authority in American Evangelicalism. Oxford University Press.
-
Wrenn, B. (2011). Religious Marketing Is Different. Services Marketing Quarterly 32 (1), pp. 44–59.
-
Yurieff, K., & O’Brien, S. A. (2020, March 13). Finding God Online: People Turn to Live-Streaming Religious Services During Coronavirus Pandemic. cnn. https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/13/tech/religious-services-livestream/index.html.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 159 | 159 | 40 |
| Full Text Views | 10 | 10 | 4 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 27 | 27 | 8 |
Fear Not, for I Am with You Again (Socially Distanced): A Qualitative Thematic Analysis of Megachurch Post-covid Lockdown Re-opening Videos on Facebook
In: Journal of Religion, Media and Digital CultureAbstract
Churches in the United States closed their doors to in-person gatherings during the covid-19 lockdown in March of 2020. As conditions improved, churches began re-opening to indoor worship services, instituting safety measures to comply with cdc guidelines. Churches used social media to promote their re-opening to their congregations. With the goal of evaluating the video messages of churches promoting their re-opening, the study analyzes the content of Facebook videos from non-denominational megachurches between June and October 2020. This qualitative thematic analysis explores how the videos address the threat of covid-19, the risk of attending in-person services, and the efficacy of health and safety measures. The inductive analysis was sensitized by the extended parallel processing model, ritual communication theory, and the concept of security theater. The themes identified have potential implications for future religious and health communication research, especially concerning contentious safety protocols, managing fear and anxiety, liability concerns, livestreaming technology, and more digitally transient congregations.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 159 | 159 | 40 |
| Full Text Views | 10 | 10 | 4 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 27 | 27 | 8 |