ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses Christian Popular Music (CPM), an umbrella under which both Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) and Christian Worship Music (CWM) resides. It analyses how Darlene Zschech, Hillsong’s Head of the Worship and Creative Arts Department from 1996 until 2007, communicated the Hillsong brand’s purpose and values in word and action—in other words, through her lifestyle. The chapter discusses how Hillsong discursively managed her image—and thus the image of its music and its organization—in order to tell its own story. Evangelical Christians believe that they are called upon to engage with society in everyday life but should also maintain a higher moral standard than that of secular society. One fixture of both the secular and Christian culture industries is the celebrity. The chapter concludes by revisiting the notion set out in the previous chapter that brands rely on cultural contradictions to promote their utopian promises.
