Cult Favorite

The second half of The Secrets of Hillsong explores the dark past of Hillsong’s early history and the eventual downfall of the global church. It details Frank Houston’s repeated sexual abuse of children and Brian Houston’s sexual harassment allegations and financial abuses. Mike and Merinda discuss these stories but also what these stories tell us about the structures that make a megachurch like Hillsong possible.

Content warning: this episode includes discussions of child sexual abuse.

Links:

Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel by Kate Bowler

Australian Royal Commission report on child sexual abuse

Compromising Positions: Sex Scandals, Politics, and American Christianity by Leslie Dorrough Smith

Our Cult Favorites:

• Mike: Dead Space (2023)

• Merinda: The Birmingham Bevy

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Production assistance from the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama.

Theme music produced with Udio.

In our first episode we discuss the first two episodes of the FX/Hulu docu-series The Secrets of Hillsong about the rise and fall of one of the world's most famous megachurches. What is unique about Hillsong? What makes a celebrity pastor famous? And why can't American evangelicalism understand and deal with desire?

Show notes:

The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill

Janice Lagata's open letter

Our Cult Favorites:

Follow us on Instagram and X at @cultfavoritepod.

Production assistance from the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama.

Theme music produced with Udio.