John Weaver is an instructor at SUNY Broome. He lives in Amsterdam, New York.

Table of Contents


Acknowledgments viii

Preface

Acronyms

Introduction

1.¿The Origins of Evangelical Management Culture

2.¿The Church Growth Movement and the Birth of Modern Metricspirituality

3.¿Cybernetics, Computers and Christ: How Systems Theory Helped Found the Modern Religious Right

4.¿Networked Churches and the Rise of Church Toyota

5.¿The Christian Right's Technological Infrastructure

6.¿The Evangelical Web

Conclusion: Managing the Future

Glossary

Chapter Notes

Works Cited

Index

This book explores the technological innovations and management practices of evangelical Christian religions. Beginning from the late 19th century, the author examines the evangelical church's increasing appropriation of business practices from the secular world as solutions to organizational problems. He notes especially the importance of the church growth movement and the formation of church networks.
Particular attention is paid to the history of evangelical uses of computer technology, including connections the Christian Right has made within Silicon Valley. Most significantly, this book offers one of the first academic explorations of the use of cybernetics, systems theory and complexity theory by evangelical leaders and management theorists.