ABSTRACT
This chapter provides the socio-historical and political-economic contexts for this study. It suggests that the communicative strategies and organizational forms of transnational New Paradigm churches, such as Hillsong, developed concomitantly with the emerging consumer culture centred in the United States and the United Kingdom. The chapter traces the evolution of the brand and branding from a mark of ownership to an array of sophisticated marketing techniques that are deployed in an increasing number of social, cultural, political, and economic contexts. It also traces the development of a ‘Religious Experience Economy’ and the related emergence of Christian Popular Music (CPM) and New Paradigm churches. The chapter outlines the concomitant rise of a religious marketplace, CPM, and the New Paradigm church, emphasizing the role of marketing in the process. It discusses the changes in the Australian religious and political-economic landscape that provided the foundation for the ‘rise and rise’ of Australian Pentecostalism and Hillsong’s Iconic Brand.
