Religion as Retail: The Coming of Big Box Christianity

A thought provoking article (Religion as Retail: The Coming of Big Box Christianity) has been written comparing the move in religion in America toward mega-churches as being similar to that of the move in retailing toward the "big box" mass merchant. The author notes that there is a tendency to abandon religious symbols (crosses and Bibles) and traditions in order attract a greater following. The question is asked if we really want to "franchise" the church and lose the advantages of the smaller congregations with their advantages of personalized care. The author ends his piece with the following questions:

Is this what we want? Has spirituality in the US become such an impersonal commodity that this retailing of religion will be the new dominant mode of worship? Will this retailization lead to the same decreasing level of commitment and loyalty that retailers now struggle with? Will churchgoers "shop around" for the best combination of services and convenience, perhaps with the deciding factor being wherever most of their friends are at the moment? Will churches start offering "worship loyalty cards" like the one from Kroger on my keychain? It will be interesting, if not depressing, to find out.

(link to article)