Cool Christianity

“Tracking the expansion of Hillsong from Australia to Brazil, Cristina Rocha highlights the central role of its distinctive aesthetic style in holding the network together globally while also making it touch ground in the Brazilian charismatic field. This amazing ethnography offers a highly innovative methodological and conceptual intervention into the study of global Pentecostalism.” * Birgit Meyer, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Utrecht University *Cool Christianity is readable and, importantly, fair. Both newcomers and experts, critics and attendees can enjoy and be challenged by this overview of young transnational ‘cool’ pentecostalism. * Tanya Riches, Journal for the Academic Study of Religion *Cool Christianity is a must-read for scholars interested in Hillsong, Pentecostalism, and Megachurch Christianity more broadly. Scholars of material religion will be inspired by Rocha’s focus on the Hillsong sensational form and its ability to travel transnationally and adapt to local settings-a topic …[that] has not been studied previously with such rich ethnographic detail. The book is timely and reflects on the recent stress that the Hillsong movement has come under after its founder has been implicated in a number of scandals. * Jerrold Cuperus, Material Religion: The Journal of Objects, Art and Belief *This is an important study for theologians and churches to engage with. Rocha’s writing is exquisite, scholarly and accessible. * Martyn Percy, Theology *Cool Christianity is a compelling and insightful contribution to the study of global Pentecostalism, offering a nuanced understanding of how religion adapts to and is transformed by contemporary global cultural currents. It is a must-read for scholars of Pentecostal studies, anthropology, and anyone interested in the intersections of religion, culture, and globalization in contemporary times. * Stefan van der Hoek, Penteco Studies *

Cristina Rocha is Professor of Anthropology at Western Sydney University, Australia. She is the author of the award-winning book John of God: The Globalization of Brazilian Faith Healing (OUP 2017). Rocha co-edits the Journal of Global Buddhism and the Brill series Religion in the Americas. She was a fellow of the Paris Institute for Advanced Study (2021-22) and President of the Australian Association for the Study of Religion (2017-19). She has held Visiting Research positions at Utrecht University, Kings College, the CUNY Graduate Centre, and the Max Planck Institute for Religious and Ethnic Diversity. Her publications have been translated into Spanish, French and Portuguese.