Abstract

Despite Christianity's position as a minority faith in most Asian countries, the remarkable expansion of Pentecostalism-Charismatic (P/C) Christianity in recent years has encouraged observers to regard it as a ‘new’ religious movement. Using the Sidang Injil Borneo, Malaysia, and the Bethel Church of Indonesia as examples, this chapter employs the concept of ‘glocalization’ to examine how P/C Christianity has been marketed to Indonesian and Malaysian clientele in ways that maintain a global style of evangelism while stressing local roots. The emphasis on charismatic preaching and healing has exercised a strong cultural appeal and provided a basis for the subsequent growth of P/C congregations. An increased presence in urban centres also owes much to communication through social media and to a technologically sophisticated worship style perceived as emblematic of a new religious modernity. At the same time, these case studies suggest that the presentation of Christianity as simultaneously national and cosmopolitan contains inherent tensions, and that ‘local’ elements are receding as global influences become increasingly dominant.

Keywords: Pentecostalism, Charismatic Christianity, marketing, glocalisation, Sidang Injil Borneo, Gereja Bethel Indonesia