Sublime

Part 1: Big Things for God 1 1. Social Power without Proximity 3 2. The First Evangelical Celebrities 23 3. Megachurch, Megapastors 43 Part 2: Three Temptations 63 4. Abusing Power 65 5. Chasing Platforms 95 6. Creating Persona 117 Part 3: The Way Up Is Down 137 7. Seeking Brand Ambassadors 139 8. The Obscure Messiah and Ordinary Faithfulness

‘to seek a final refuge against society in the broad and tenantless plains of the west’.

I choose to trust God’s justice instead of wanting to deal with Larry myself.

As the attorney general was walking up the grand staircase to the baroque rotunda to meet them, she tweeted her followers: “About to marry the Prop 8 plaintiffs, Kristin Perry and Sandy Stier. Wedding bells are ringing.”41

identify specific “cult” criteria: charismatic leaders, mind-altering behaviors, sexual and financial exploitation, an us-versus-them mentality toward nonmembers, and an ends-justify-the-means philosophy.