California Megachurches Changed American Christian Culture

That's the topic of this article at RNS by Richard Flory.  He explains how the California megachurches that arose in the last half of the twentieth century led the way in merging various aspects of culture with religious life and practice.  His two key examples -- the Crystal Cathedral and the Calvary Chapel -- are both only minutes away from UC Irvine.  Megachurches are still thriving in California;  there are over 200 in California, which is more than in any other state.

Flory writes:

Current iterations of California megachurches, such as Mosaic and Oasis in Los Angeles, C3 (now VIVE Church) in the Bay Area, among others, follow a similar script and arguably build on elements of California culture: the promise of a comfortable experience in church, the opportunity to feel good about oneself, and participation in a community of like-minded people that doesn’t require any deeper commitments unless one so desires.

Across the country, the broader impact of the California churches can be seen in the different ways that megachurches, such as City Church in Seattle, which caters to young Christian hipsters, or the more family-oriented programming at Willow Creek in Chicago, have adapted their purpose and programming to specific cultural currents in order to create their own unique identity – an approach pioneered in California.