Includes bibliographical references (pages 177-192) and index.

Evangelical innovators -- The smiling preacher : Joel Osteen and the happy church -- Great jazz : T.D. Jakes and the new Black church -- A new kind of Christian : Brian McLaren and the emerging church -- Messed-up Mississippi girl : Paula White and the imperfect church -- Surfing spiritual waves : Rick Warren and the purpose-driven church.

Joel Osteen, Paula White, T.D. Jakes, Rick Warren, and Brian McLaren pastor some the largest churches in the nation, lead vast spiritual networks, write best-selling books, and are among the most influential preachers in American Protestantism today. Spurred by the phenomenal appeal of these religious innovators, sociologist Shayne Lee and historian Phillip Luke Sinitiere investigate how they operate and how their style of religious expression fits into America's cultural landscape. Drawing from the theory of religious economy, the authors offer new perspectives on evangelical leadership and key insights into why some religious movements thrive while others decline. --From publisher's description.