EAST AND SOUTH ASIA

This chapter attempts to provide a comprehensive description of the megachurches in East and South Asia. In both contexts, the megachurch phenomenon varies considerably from country to country. In some countries, the rapid growth of Protestantism has led to a cluster of megachurches, while in others, Protestantism and the church itself have not grown. These differences reflect the different modernizations experienced by East and South Asian countries. In particular, it demonstrates differences in the relationship between state and religion, the process of indigenization of Protestantism, and the social meaning and function of Protestant churches that were formed in the process of modernization of each country.