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Tanya Riches

University of Birmingham, Cadbury Centre, Honourary Research Associate

Religion and Culture +26

Supervisors: Bryant Myers, Amos Yong, and Sherwood Lingenfelter

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685 Followers 369 Following 3 Co-authorsTotal Views23 Public Mentions

Journal Articles

Acknowledgment of Country: Intersecting Australian Pentecostalisms Reembeding Spirit in Place

Religions, 2018

This article builds upon a previous application of Nimi Wariboko’s “Charismatic City” proposal, a... more This article builds upon a previous application of Nimi Wariboko’s “Charismatic City” proposal, adapting it to the Australian context. Within this metaphor, the Pentecostal worshipper is situated in a rhizomatic network that flows with particular energies, forming a new spirit-ed common space that serves as the basis of global civil society. In this network, the culturally dominant metropolis and the culturally alternative heteropolis speak in distinct voices or tongues: An act that identifies and attunes participants to the Spirit’s existing work in the world. Here, two interweaving Australian Pentecostalisms are presented. The metropolis in this example is Hillsong Church, well known for its song repertoire and international conferences. In contrast, the heteropolis is a diverse group led by Aboriginal Australian pastors Will and Sandra Dumas from Ganggalah Church. In 2017, Hillsong Conference incorporated a Christianised version of an “Acknowledgement to Country,” a traditional Indigenous ceremonial welcome, into its public liturgy, which is arguably evidence of speaking new languages. In this case, it also serves a political purpose, to recognise Aboriginal Pentecostals within a new commons. This interaction shows how Joel Robbin’s Pentecostal “impulses” of “globalization,” “cultural fragmentation” and “world-making” can operate simultaneously within the ritual life of national churches.

Liturgical Inculturation in Urban Aboriginal Pentecostalism

Liturgy, 2018

Pentecostal Worship: An Introduction

Liturgy, 2018

Togetherness, Teamwork, and Challenges: Reflections on Building an Inclusive Research Network

Background: This article presents a case study of the Centre for Disability Studies’ Inclusive Re... more Background: This article presents a case study of the Centre for Disability Studies’ Inclusive Research Network. The network is a dynamic group of around fifteen people who have intellectual and other disabilities, support workers and university researchers.

Methods: The study was based upon an evaluation of the group’s research practice, as demonstrated by their work together over the last 7 years. Network members created focus groups to outline the process of their research. These reflections formed the basis of a presentation video recorded for the 50th anniversary of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities conference. The video outlined the groups’ understanding of “inclusive research.” A transcript of the script was used to analyse and reflect upon the group’s processes. Thus, this article outlines inclusive research from the perspective of network members, evaluated against the founding principles of inclusive research presented in Johnson and Walmsley (2003)’s well-known volume.

Results: The network member’s answers show consistency with these principles developed by Johnson and Walmsley. Themes identified were the need for “teamwork” and “challenges” in following these principles.

Conclusion: In defining what inclusive research is and what makes research “inclusive,” the answers highlight the relational dynamics between the team members, and need to continually work on “togetherness.” The affective connection between researchers is to them a highly significant part of what is considered successful inclusive research, particularly for coresearchers with intellectual disabilities. This article suggests the affective dimension may be undervalued in the current literature.

Can We Still Sing the Lyrics "Come Holy Spirit"? : Spirit and Place in Australian Pentecostal Worship

Australian Pentecostals, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, are speaking new tongues in their wo... more Australian Pentecostals, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, are speaking new tongues in their worship practices, forming new poetic languages of singing and conversation relevant for spatially dislocated twenty-first-century life. Using the model offered within Nigerian American pentecostal Nimi Wariboko's book "Charismatic City and the Public Resurgence of Religion", this article assesses Australian pentecostal worship practice in light of his "Charismatic City." The article suggests that this emergent, poetic language of Spirit empowerment situates the worshipper in a rhizomatic network that flows with Pentecostal energies, forming a new commons or space that is the basis of its global civil society. In particular, it presents two local case studies from Hillsong Church's pneumatological song repertoire (1996-2006) and yarning conversation rituals at Ganggalah Church led by Aboriginal Australian pastors. These new languages identify and attune participants to the Spirit's existing work in the world, particularly useful for urban cities and cyberspace.

"My Identity is ‘Indigenous Australian’ and ‘Christian’ and it’s Not An Oxymoron": Urban Indigenous Australian Pentecostal Christianity

'Milestones' Occasional Papers

This occasional paper addresses a paucity in present scholarship regarding Indigenous (Aboriginal... more This occasional paper addresses a paucity in present scholarship regarding Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) religiosity in the urban Australian environment. Drawing upon Nimi Wariboko's description of indigenous Nigerian Pentecostalism as "rhizomatic" or fluid identity, this paper presents particular conflicts and resolutions observed at the nexus of "Indigenous Australian" and "Christian". It is based on interviews with "Indigenous Australian Christians" attending eight different urban congregations.

Making Room for Spiritual Abilities: Towards Worship Practices that Include

by Tanya Riches and Vivienne C Riches

Australasian Pentecostal Studies, 2015

Pentecostals place great emphasis upon active participation in the liturgy, or worship service. B... more Pentecostals place great emphasis upon active participation in the liturgy, or worship service. But for people with disability, attending a contemporary Australian Pentecostal church is often described as an experience of exclusion. This is backed up by a noted absence of people with disability in these churches. This paper draws upon research conducted by The University of Sydney assessing community participants’ religious support-needs, using the I-CAN assessment tool. It shows that support for active spirituality is provided by a matrix of people and organizations. However, at present the Australian state provides most disability support. And, provider institutions and their staff often exclude the spiritual needs of people with disability. This exacerbates the felt exclusion of people with disability – particularly those prevented from attending, who rarely feature in church surveys. An assessment tool such as the I-CAN that uses a supports-needs framework can concretely assess these in regards to supporting spirituality. This article discusses inclusion in church worship, assisted by recognition of support-needs.

The Evolution of Hillsong Music: From Australian Pentecostal Congregation into Global Brand

by Tom Wagner and Tanya Riches

Australian Journal of Communication, Jan 1, 2012

Branding is increasingly acknowledged as a marketing strategy used by transnational religious ins... more Branding is increasingly acknowledged as a marketing strategy used by transnational religious institutions commonly known as ‘megachurches’. Commentators on this phenomenon often view the branding process as an artificial driver of organisational growth rather than as concomitant with the evolution of a group of people. This article examines the history and development of the music and branding of the Australian megachurch Hillsong. Within the space of 26 years, Hillsong evolved from a ‘local’ Australian congregation into a transnational enterprise. During each phase of its development, its music communicated the vision, values, and focus of its leaders and congregation visually, aurally, and sonorously. Hillsong’s branding has thus proceeded organically, both driving and being driven by the church’s growth.

A "Poetics" of Interfaith Dialogue in Australia

In Australia, the "social exclusion of Indigenous disadvantage" is recognized by most to be at pl... more In Australia, the "social exclusion of Indigenous disadvantage" is recognized by most to be at play in all areas of life, including religion. However, Australian Pentecostal Christians often cite spiritual reasons as to why their churches display an under-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait members and leaders. This is often due to the "demonization" within indigenous cultures and religions. However, this article argues that there are better theological resources for interfaith dialogue within the Pentecostal tradition for inclusion, as outlined here.

"Gods Brand is Love": Australian Immigrant Churches in the United States

God’s Brand is Love: Australian Pentecostalism in the United States. , Jun 2014

Within the last decade, Australian Pentecostals have begun to plant new congregations in the Unit... more Within the last decade, Australian Pentecostals have begun to plant new congregations in the United States. Much of the popularity of these churches is based upon the success of Australian music publishing houses such as Hillsong Church. However, transnational movement of liturgy is not new - it is long established in Christian practice. Under the guise of mission, the revitalization of religion occurred globally through a migration of people, practices, texts and technologies. Recent interest in Southern Christianity has precipitated studies of immigrant-led churches within the United States (sometimes under the term "return mission movement"), and there is growing recognition of change in the Western religious landscape. However, the contribution of Australian Pentecostal congregations to the North American religious landscape is rarely observed - here reviewed through the lens of mission studies.

Aboriginal Australian Pentecostals taking the initiative in Mount Druitt’s urban songlines

This article outlines identity negotiation observed within the musical performance of Initiative ... more This article outlines identity negotiation observed within the musical performance of Initiative Church, an indigenous-led urban Pentecostal church located in the suburb of Mount Druitt, Sydney Australia, which performs under the name ‘Mount Druitt Indigenous Choir’. The group’s engagement with its various ‘others’ is evident in performance. In particular, music facilitates a nuanced conversation between elders of the Dharug nation, local dominant-culture Pentecostal congregations, Australian mega-churches such as Hillsong, and North American Pentecostal music distributors such as Bethel Church in Redding, California. Pentecostalism provides the possibility for negotiating these global and local influences, while constructing a revised group identity in music.

Ethical and Theological Reflections: Liturgical and Ritual Studies method in Australian Pentecostal Contemporary Congregational Worship.

Increasing numbers of Pentecostal musicians, songwriters and worship leaders are enrolling in gra... more Increasing numbers of Pentecostal musicians, songwriters and worship leaders are enrolling in graduate and post-graduate courses in pursuit of formal theological and musicological training. As the Pentecostal church has previously eschewed tertiary education, many of these students are studying in non-Pentecostal institutions. For those who are working in the field of worship, the literature is dominated by evangelical, Catholic and even secular frames and methods. The discourse on worship practices is structured according to concerns arising in contexts foreign to most Pentecostal congregations, which drive research questions and available methods. This is true even of research into a core Pentecostal practice – the Sunday worship service. This article addresses the author’s experience of researching Australian Pentecostalism in the United States from within a large evangelical institution, Fuller Theological Seminary. It reflects upon the challenges of living as both an insider and outsider of two worlds - as a Pentecostal worship leader, on the one hand, and a Ph.D. student using ritual ethnomusicology methods, on the other.

The Evolving Theological Emphasis of Hillsong Worship (1996–2007)

The Evolving Theological Emphasis of Hillsong Worship (1996–2007)

The Evolution of Hillsong Music: From Australian Pentecostal congregation into Global Brand.

Australian Journal of Communication, Jan 1, 2012

Books

Worship and Social Engagement in Urban Aboriginal-led Australian Pentecostal Congregations: (Re)imagining Identity in the Spirit

Brill , 2019

Much of Australia was Christianized in “The Great Missionary Era.” Even today, many Aboriginal an... more Much of Australia was Christianized in “The Great Missionary Era.” Even today, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders self-identify as Christian. However, they are often marginalized in Australia’s denominational and church leadership structures, perhaps due to perceived “syncretism” in continuing Dreaming Spirituality. Aboriginal leadership of urban churches today is largely undocumented. The thesis of this dissertation is that as urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders act as leaders and visionaries of Pentecostal religious voluntary organizations, they are actively (re)imagining their selves, (re)imagining Christianity and, subsequently, (re)imagining their worlds in Spirit encounter.

The anthropologist Malcolm Calley identified in 1955 some Bundjalung Pentecostal Christians that had indigenized existing global Pentecostal models and participated fully despite segregation laws and lack of Australian citizenship. After Aboriginal Pentecostal leaders on Bundjalung land used a decolonizing participatory method of “yarning” to coproduce this research, it was resituated at the interdisciplinary intersection of theology, anthropology, and development studies drawing upon Amartya Sen’s capability approach.

This study presents three congregations and their pastors - Will and Sandra Dumas at Ganggalah Church on The Gold Coast with the Australian Christian Churches denomination; Brian and Lolita Lampton in Cairns with the Power of the Spirit Ministries denomination; and Pastors Tim and Di Edwards at Eagle Rock Community Church in Perth who are affiliated with Victory Outreach.

It applies Randall Collin’s Durkheimian/Goffmanian interaction ritual chain theory to investigate the rituals of three urban churches with Aboriginal leaders, and investigate outcomes of participation for individuals and the community. It study asks, ““How are the worship and social engagement practices of these urban Aboriginal-led Pentecostal congregations linked, if at all?“

The research found that the Aboriginal Pentecostal network had existed since 1904, and still gathered regularly across Australia for musical worship, teaching, and mentoring rituals. Although the rituals integrated cultural knowledges, this was not their goal. The central purpose was “being in the Spirit,” an encounter with God that changed a worshiper’s perceptions of self, reordered relationships, and reframed their understanding of their world. Most of interview participants (91%) self-reported a positive impact from attending these churches. But the breadth of the social programs (and thereby benefit to the community) was astounding. The dissertation documents the “Aboriginal advantage,” or the outcomes of the successful mentoring of pastors in these Australian networks.

Spirit-filled Christianity and The Dreaming (Special Edition)

AustralAsian Pentecostal Studies, 2018

Pentecostal Liturgy (Worship) - Special Edition

Liturgy, 2018

This is a co-edited special volume with its authors addressing various intersections of Pentecost... more

The Hillsong Movement Examined: You Call Me Out Upon the Waters

by Tom Wagner and Tanya Riches

Palgrave McMillan, 2017

This project brings together a team of sixteen interdisciplinary writers and thinkers - both insi... more This project brings together a team of sixteen interdisciplinary writers and thinkers - both inside and outside the academy – to address a broad range of social, political, spiritual, and theological critiques related to Hillsong Church. This is an academically rigorous and broadly accessible volume that draws together the extant scholarship to discuss the impact and influence of this Australian congregation.

The volume is structured in four parts, with an overarching theme of “flow.” This theme accommodates the variety of sociological/anthropological concepts (e.g. global flows of media, goods, people, ideas, capital, etc.) as well as various psychological and spiritual concepts. For example: “flow” in relation to various worship rituals/practices, transcendence and immanence, identity, and subject positions. Each author contributes a critically grounded essay from his or her disciplinary perspective on a relevant topic. Lee Burns, the Executive Vice President of Hillsong College responds on behalf of Hillsong Church.

This project is distinctive because of the range of perspectives and disciplines represented (including voices from the press and the church) and is the most comprehensive single source of information on the Hillsong Movement to date.

Dissertations

(Re)imagining Identity in the Spirit: Worship and Social Engagement in Urban, Aboriginal-led Pentecostal Congregations

Much of Australia was Christianized in “The Great Missionary Era.” Although many Aboriginal and T... more Much of Australia was Christianized in “The Great Missionary Era.” Although many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders today self-identify as Christian, their vocies are often marginalized within Australia’s denominational and church leadership structures due to perceived “syncretism” or continuing Dreaming Spirituality. In 1955 the anthropologist Malcolm Calley identified Bundjalung Pentecostal Christians who had indigenized global Pentecostal models to participate fully in Christianity despite segregation laws and lack of Australian citizenship. But Aboriginal leadership of urban churches today is largely undocumented.

Aboriginal Pentecostal leaders on Bundjalung land used a decolonizing participatory method of “yarning” to resituate this research at the interdisciplinary intersection of theology, anthropology, and development studies drawing upon Amartya Sen’s capability approach.

The dissertation presents three urban Pentecostal congregations with Aboriginal pastors - Will and Sandra Dumas (Ganggalah Church, The Gold Coast) with the Australian Christian Churches, Brian and Lolita Lampton (Power of the Spirit Ministries, Cairns) in their own denomination, and Pastors Tim and Di Edwards (Eagle Rock Community Church, Perth) affiliated with Victory Outreach. The study asks, ““How are the worship and social engagement practices of these urban Aboriginal-led Pentecostal congregations linked, if at all?“ Randall Collin’s Durkheimian/Goffmanian interaction ritual chain theory was used to investigate how the rituals of these three churches are related, and to chart outcomes for individuals and the community.

The thesis of this dissertation is that as urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders act as leaders and visionaries of Pentecostal religious voluntary organizations, they are actively (re)imagining their selves, (re)imagining Christianity and, subsequently, (re)imagining their worlds in Spirit encounter.

The research found an Aboriginal Pentecostal network had existed since 1904, that still gathered regularly across Australia for musical worship, teaching, and mentoring rituals. Although cultural knowledges were integrated, this was not the goal of meeting. The central purpose was “being in the Spirit,” an encounter with God that changed a worshiper’s perceptions of self, reordered relationships, and reframed their understanding of their world. The dissertation outlines social programs, noting their particular relevance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members. 91% of interview participants self-reported a positive impact from attending these churches. The churches themselves performed indigeneity in different ways, and this affected the social programs of the churches.

SHOUT TO THE LORD! Music and change at Hillsong: 1996-2007, MPhil Thesis

Acknowledgment of Country: Intersecting Australian Pentecostalisms Reembeding Spirit in Place

Religions, 2018

This article builds upon a previous application of Nimi Wariboko’s “Charismatic City” proposal, a... more This article builds upon a previous application of Nimi Wariboko’s “Charismatic City” proposal, adapting it to the Australian context. Within this metaphor, the Pentecostal worshipper is situated in a rhizomatic network that flows with particular energies, forming a new spirit-ed common space that serves as the basis of global civil society. In this network, the culturally dominant metropolis and the culturally alternative heteropolis speak in distinct voices or tongues: An act that identifies and attunes participants to the Spirit’s existing work in the world. Here, two interweaving Australian Pentecostalisms are presented. The metropolis in this example is Hillsong Church, well known for its song repertoire and international conferences. In contrast, the heteropolis is a diverse group led by Aboriginal Australian pastors Will and Sandra Dumas from Ganggalah Church. In 2017, Hillsong Conference incorporated a Christianised version of an “Acknowledgement to Country,” a traditional Indigenous ceremonial welcome, into its public liturgy, which is arguably evidence of speaking new languages. In this case, it also serves a political purpose, to recognise Aboriginal Pentecostals within a new commons. This interaction shows how Joel Robbin’s Pentecostal “impulses” of “globalization,” “cultural fragmentation” and “world-making” can operate simultaneously within the ritual life of national churches.

Liturgical Inculturation in Urban Aboriginal Pentecostalism

Liturgy, 2018

Pentecostal Worship: An Introduction

Liturgy, 2018

Togetherness, Teamwork, and Challenges: Reflections on Building an Inclusive Research Network

Background: This article presents a case study of the Centre for Disability Studies’ Inclusive Re... more Background: This article presents a case study of the Centre for Disability Studies’ Inclusive Research Network. The network is a dynamic group of around fifteen people who have intellectual and other disabilities, support workers and university researchers.

Methods: The study was based upon an evaluation of the group’s research practice, as demonstrated by their work together over the last 7 years. Network members created focus groups to outline the process of their research. These reflections formed the basis of a presentation video recorded for the 50th anniversary of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities conference. The video outlined the groups’ understanding of “inclusive research.” A transcript of the script was used to analyse and reflect upon the group’s processes. Thus, this article outlines inclusive research from the perspective of network members, evaluated against the founding principles of inclusive research presented in Johnson and Walmsley (2003)’s well-known volume.

Results: The network member’s answers show consistency with these principles developed by Johnson and Walmsley. Themes identified were the need for “teamwork” and “challenges” in following these principles.

Conclusion: In defining what inclusive research is and what makes research “inclusive,” the answers highlight the relational dynamics between the team members, and need to continually work on “togetherness.” The affective connection between researchers is to them a highly significant part of what is considered successful inclusive research, particularly for coresearchers with intellectual disabilities. This article suggests the affective dimension may be undervalued in the current literature.

Can We Still Sing the Lyrics "Come Holy Spirit"? : Spirit and Place in Australian Pentecostal Worship

Australian Pentecostals, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, are speaking new tongues in their wo... more Australian Pentecostals, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, are speaking new tongues in their worship practices, forming new poetic languages of singing and conversation relevant for spatially dislocated twenty-first-century life. Using the model offered within Nigerian American pentecostal Nimi Wariboko's book "Charismatic City and the Public Resurgence of Religion", this article assesses Australian pentecostal worship practice in light of his "Charismatic City." The article suggests that this emergent, poetic language of Spirit empowerment situates the worshipper in a rhizomatic network that flows with Pentecostal energies, forming a new commons or space that is the basis of its global civil society. In particular, it presents two local case studies from Hillsong Church's pneumatological song repertoire (1996-2006) and yarning conversation rituals at Ganggalah Church led by Aboriginal Australian pastors. These new languages identify and attune participants to the Spirit's existing work in the world, particularly useful for urban cities and cyberspace.

"My Identity is ‘Indigenous Australian’ and ‘Christian’ and it’s Not An Oxymoron": Urban Indigenous Australian Pentecostal Christianity

'Milestones' Occasional Papers

This occasional paper addresses a paucity in present scholarship regarding Indigenous (Aboriginal... more This occasional paper addresses a paucity in present scholarship regarding Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) religiosity in the urban Australian environment. Drawing upon Nimi Wariboko's description of indigenous Nigerian Pentecostalism as "rhizomatic" or fluid identity, this paper presents particular conflicts and resolutions observed at the nexus of "Indigenous Australian" and "Christian". It is based on interviews with "Indigenous Australian Christians" attending eight different urban congregations.

Making Room for Spiritual Abilities: Towards Worship Practices that Include

by Tanya Riches and Vivienne C Riches

Australasian Pentecostal Studies, 2015

Pentecostals place great emphasis upon active participation in the liturgy, or worship service. B... more Pentecostals place great emphasis upon active participation in the liturgy, or worship service. But for people with disability, attending a contemporary Australian Pentecostal church is often described as an experience of exclusion. This is backed up by a noted absence of people with disability in these churches. This paper draws upon research conducted by The University of Sydney assessing community participants’ religious support-needs, using the I-CAN assessment tool. It shows that support for active spirituality is provided by a matrix of people and organizations. However, at present the Australian state provides most disability support. And, provider institutions and their staff often exclude the spiritual needs of people with disability. This exacerbates the felt exclusion of people with disability – particularly those prevented from attending, who rarely feature in church surveys. An assessment tool such as the I-CAN that uses a supports-needs framework can concretely assess these in regards to supporting spirituality. This article discusses inclusion in church worship, assisted by recognition of support-needs.

The Evolution of Hillsong Music: From Australian Pentecostal Congregation into Global Brand

by Tom Wagner and Tanya Riches

Australian Journal of Communication, Jan 1, 2012

Branding is increasingly acknowledged as a marketing strategy used by transnational religious ins... more Branding is increasingly acknowledged as a marketing strategy used by transnational religious institutions commonly known as ‘megachurches’. Commentators on this phenomenon often view the branding process as an artificial driver of organisational growth rather than as concomitant with the evolution of a group of people. This article examines the history and development of the music and branding of the Australian megachurch Hillsong. Within the space of 26 years, Hillsong evolved from a ‘local’ Australian congregation into a transnational enterprise. During each phase of its development, its music communicated the vision, values, and focus of its leaders and congregation visually, aurally, and sonorously. Hillsong’s branding has thus proceeded organically, both driving and being driven by the church’s growth.

A "Poetics" of Interfaith Dialogue in Australia

In Australia, the "social exclusion of Indigenous disadvantage" is recognized by most to be at pl... more In Australia, the "social exclusion of Indigenous disadvantage" is recognized by most to be at play in all areas of life, including religion. However, Australian Pentecostal Christians often cite spiritual reasons as to why their churches display an under-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait members and leaders. This is often due to the "demonization" within indigenous cultures and religions. However, this article argues that there are better theological resources for interfaith dialogue within the Pentecostal tradition for inclusion, as outlined here.

"Gods Brand is Love": Australian Immigrant Churches in the United States

God’s Brand is Love: Australian Pentecostalism in the United States. , Jun 2014

Within the last decade, Australian Pentecostals have begun to plant new congregations in the Unit... more Within the last decade, Australian Pentecostals have begun to plant new congregations in the United States. Much of the popularity of these churches is based upon the success of Australian music publishing houses such as Hillsong Church. However, transnational movement of liturgy is not new - it is long established in Christian practice. Under the guise of mission, the revitalization of religion occurred globally through a migration of people, practices, texts and technologies. Recent interest in Southern Christianity has precipitated studies of immigrant-led churches within the United States (sometimes under the term "return mission movement"), and there is growing recognition of change in the Western religious landscape. However, the contribution of Australian Pentecostal congregations to the North American religious landscape is rarely observed - here reviewed through the lens of mission studies.

Aboriginal Australian Pentecostals taking the initiative in Mount Druitt’s urban songlines

This article outlines identity negotiation observed within the musical performance of Initiative ... more This article outlines identity negotiation observed within the musical performance of Initiative Church, an indigenous-led urban Pentecostal church located in the suburb of Mount Druitt, Sydney Australia, which performs under the name ‘Mount Druitt Indigenous Choir’. The group’s engagement with its various ‘others’ is evident in performance. In particular, music facilitates a nuanced conversation between elders of the Dharug nation, local dominant-culture Pentecostal congregations, Australian mega-churches such as Hillsong, and North American Pentecostal music distributors such as Bethel Church in Redding, California. Pentecostalism provides the possibility for negotiating these global and local influences, while constructing a revised group identity in music.

Ethical and Theological Reflections: Liturgical and Ritual Studies method in Australian Pentecostal Contemporary Congregational Worship.

Increasing numbers of Pentecostal musicians, songwriters and worship leaders are enrolling in gra... more Increasing numbers of Pentecostal musicians, songwriters and worship leaders are enrolling in graduate and post-graduate courses in pursuit of formal theological and musicological training. As the Pentecostal church has previously eschewed tertiary education, many of these students are studying in non-Pentecostal institutions. For those who are working in the field of worship, the literature is dominated by evangelical, Catholic and even secular frames and methods. The discourse on worship practices is structured according to concerns arising in contexts foreign to most Pentecostal congregations, which drive research questions and available methods. This is true even of research into a core Pentecostal practice – the Sunday worship service. This article addresses the author’s experience of researching Australian Pentecostalism in the United States from within a large evangelical institution, Fuller Theological Seminary. It reflects upon the challenges of living as both an insider and outsider of two worlds - as a Pentecostal worship leader, on the one hand, and a Ph.D. student using ritual ethnomusicology methods, on the other.

The Evolving Theological Emphasis of Hillsong Worship (1996–2007)

The Evolving Theological Emphasis of Hillsong Worship (1996–2007)

The Evolution of Hillsong Music: From Australian Pentecostal congregation into Global Brand.

Australian Journal of Communication, Jan 1, 2012

Worship and Social Engagement in Urban Aboriginal-led Australian Pentecostal Congregations: (Re)imagining Identity in the Spirit

Brill , 2019

Much of Australia was Christianized in “The Great Missionary Era.” Even today, many Aboriginal an... more Much of Australia was Christianized in “The Great Missionary Era.” Even today, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders self-identify as Christian. However, they are often marginalized in Australia’s denominational and church leadership structures, perhaps due to perceived “syncretism” in continuing Dreaming Spirituality. Aboriginal leadership of urban churches today is largely undocumented. The thesis of this dissertation is that as urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders act as leaders and visionaries of Pentecostal religious voluntary organizations, they are actively (re)imagining their selves, (re)imagining Christianity and, subsequently, (re)imagining their worlds in Spirit encounter.

The anthropologist Malcolm Calley identified in 1955 some Bundjalung Pentecostal Christians that had indigenized existing global Pentecostal models and participated fully despite segregation laws and lack of Australian citizenship. After Aboriginal Pentecostal leaders on Bundjalung land used a decolonizing participatory method of “yarning” to coproduce this research, it was resituated at the interdisciplinary intersection of theology, anthropology, and development studies drawing upon Amartya Sen’s capability approach.

This study presents three congregations and their pastors - Will and Sandra Dumas at Ganggalah Church on The Gold Coast with the Australian Christian Churches denomination; Brian and Lolita Lampton in Cairns with the Power of the Spirit Ministries denomination; and Pastors Tim and Di Edwards at Eagle Rock Community Church in Perth who are affiliated with Victory Outreach.

It applies Randall Collin’s Durkheimian/Goffmanian interaction ritual chain theory to investigate the rituals of three urban churches with Aboriginal leaders, and investigate outcomes of participation for individuals and the community. It study asks, ““How are the worship and social engagement practices of these urban Aboriginal-led Pentecostal congregations linked, if at all?“

The research found that the Aboriginal Pentecostal network had existed since 1904, and still gathered regularly across Australia for musical worship, teaching, and mentoring rituals. Although the rituals integrated cultural knowledges, this was not their goal. The central purpose was “being in the Spirit,” an encounter with God that changed a worshiper’s perceptions of self, reordered relationships, and reframed their understanding of their world. Most of interview participants (91%) self-reported a positive impact from attending these churches. But the breadth of the social programs (and thereby benefit to the community) was astounding. The dissertation documents the “Aboriginal advantage,” or the outcomes of the successful mentoring of pastors in these Australian networks.

Spirit-filled Christianity and The Dreaming (Special Edition)

AustralAsian Pentecostal Studies, 2018

Pentecostal Liturgy (Worship) - Special Edition

Liturgy, 2018

This is a co-edited special volume with its authors addressing various intersections of Pentecost... more

The Hillsong Movement Examined: You Call Me Out Upon the Waters

by Tom Wagner and Tanya Riches

Palgrave McMillan, 2017

This project brings together a team of sixteen interdisciplinary writers and thinkers - both insi... more This project brings together a team of sixteen interdisciplinary writers and thinkers - both inside and outside the academy – to address a broad range of social, political, spiritual, and theological critiques related to Hillsong Church. This is an academically rigorous and broadly accessible volume that draws together the extant scholarship to discuss the impact and influence of this Australian congregation.

The volume is structured in four parts, with an overarching theme of “flow.” This theme accommodates the variety of sociological/anthropological concepts (e.g. global flows of media, goods, people, ideas, capital, etc.) as well as various psychological and spiritual concepts. For example: “flow” in relation to various worship rituals/practices, transcendence and immanence, identity, and subject positions. Each author contributes a critically grounded essay from his or her disciplinary perspective on a relevant topic. Lee Burns, the Executive Vice President of Hillsong College responds on behalf of Hillsong Church.

This project is distinctive because of the range of perspectives and disciplines represented (including voices from the press and the church) and is the most comprehensive single source of information on the Hillsong Movement to date.

(Re)imagining Identity in the Spirit: Worship and Social Engagement in Urban, Aboriginal-led Pentecostal Congregations

Much of Australia was Christianized in “The Great Missionary Era.” Although many Aboriginal and T... more Much of Australia was Christianized in “The Great Missionary Era.” Although many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders today self-identify as Christian, their vocies are often marginalized within Australia’s denominational and church leadership structures due to perceived “syncretism” or continuing Dreaming Spirituality. In 1955 the anthropologist Malcolm Calley identified Bundjalung Pentecostal Christians who had indigenized global Pentecostal models to participate fully in Christianity despite segregation laws and lack of Australian citizenship. But Aboriginal leadership of urban churches today is largely undocumented.

Aboriginal Pentecostal leaders on Bundjalung land used a decolonizing participatory method of “yarning” to resituate this research at the interdisciplinary intersection of theology, anthropology, and development studies drawing upon Amartya Sen’s capability approach.

The dissertation presents three urban Pentecostal congregations with Aboriginal pastors - Will and Sandra Dumas (Ganggalah Church, The Gold Coast) with the Australian Christian Churches, Brian and Lolita Lampton (Power of the Spirit Ministries, Cairns) in their own denomination, and Pastors Tim and Di Edwards (Eagle Rock Community Church, Perth) affiliated with Victory Outreach. The study asks, ““How are the worship and social engagement practices of these urban Aboriginal-led Pentecostal congregations linked, if at all?“ Randall Collin’s Durkheimian/Goffmanian interaction ritual chain theory was used to investigate how the rituals of these three churches are related, and to chart outcomes for individuals and the community.

The thesis of this dissertation is that as urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders act as leaders and visionaries of Pentecostal religious voluntary organizations, they are actively (re)imagining their selves, (re)imagining Christianity and, subsequently, (re)imagining their worlds in Spirit encounter.

The research found an Aboriginal Pentecostal network had existed since 1904, that still gathered regularly across Australia for musical worship, teaching, and mentoring rituals. Although cultural knowledges were integrated, this was not the goal of meeting. The central purpose was “being in the Spirit,” an encounter with God that changed a worshiper’s perceptions of self, reordered relationships, and reframed their understanding of their world. The dissertation outlines social programs, noting their particular relevance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members. 91% of interview participants self-reported a positive impact from attending these churches. The churches themselves performed indigeneity in different ways, and this affected the social programs of the churches.

SHOUT TO THE LORD! Music and change at Hillsong: 1996-2007, MPhil Thesis

"Hillsong and Black": the ethics of style, representation, and identity in the Hillsong Megachurch

“Hillsong and Black”: the ethics of style, representation, and identity in the Hillsong Megachurch, 2020

Introduction: Hillsong and Movement, Examined

by Tanya Riches and Tom Wagner

This interdisciplinary volume brings together leading writers and thinkers to provide a critique ... more This interdisciplinary volume brings together leading writers and thinkers to provide a critique of a broad range of topics related to Hillsong Church. Hillsong is one of the most influential, visible, and (in some circles) controversial religious organizations/movements of the past thirty years. Although it has received significant attention from both the academy and the popular press, the vast majority of the scholarship lacks the scope and nuance necessary to understand the complexity of the movement, or its implications for the social, cultural, political, spiritual, and religious milieus it inhabits. This volume begins to redress this by filling important gaps in knowledge as well as introducing different audiences to new perspectives. In doing so, it enriches our understanding of one of the most influential Christian organizations of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

The Sisterhood: Hillsong in a Feminine Key

The Hillsong Movement Examined: You Call Me Out Upon the Waters, 2017

This chapter examines the claim of Hillsong Church, that its women’s ministries “empower” women. ... more This chapter examines the claim of Hillsong Church, that its women’s ministries “empower” women. Feminist theologians decry a “princess theology” that reduces women to a consumerist, two-dimensional image. However, interviews with thirteen women present evidence for women’s increased civil, political, social, economic, and cultural participation and promotion of their rights. Bobbie Houston, Senior Pastor of Hillsong is the central figure of The Sisterhood. Many celebrity women preachers and worship leaders. However, Hillsong Church is known for celebrity women preachers and worship leaders. This chapter finds affective connection generated between Christian women through musical and teaching products, as well as the annual Colour Conference, Hillsong services, Sisterhood meetings, and Shine discipleship programs. Houston’s presented roles as wife and mother affirm conservative norms, even while her pentecostal theologies generate subversive authority for women’s leadership and voice.

Women in Oceania

Encyclopedia of Christianity in the Global South, 2017

The rapid growth of Christianity in the global south is not just a demographic shift—it is transf... more The rapid growth of Christianity in the global south is not just a demographic shift—it is transforming the faith itself. The Encyclopedia of Christianity in the Global South traces both the history and the contemporary themes of Christianity in more than 150 countries and regions. It includes maps, images, and a detailed timeline of key events.

Mission from Oceania

Encyclopedia of Christianity in the Global South, 2017

The rapid growth of Christianity in the global south is not just a demographic shift—it is transf... more The rapid growth of Christianity in the global south is not just a demographic shift—it is transforming the faith itself. The Encyclopedia of Christianity in the Global South traces both the history and the contemporary themes of Christianity in more than 150 countries and regions. It includes maps, images, and a detailed timeline of key events.

Panoptic or Pastoral Gaze? The Worship Leader in the New Media Environment

Congregational Music-Making and Community in a Mediated Age, 2015

Many Christians consider the musical portion of a church service (often informally referred to as... more Many Christians consider the musical portion of a church service (often informally referred to as ‘the worship’) as particularly important to experiencing God as transcendent. Within larger, 'networked' megachurches this experience becomes highly mediated. The job of the worship pastor is to guide a congregation into such experiences within sacred space. The expectation of this role is shaped by various global and local cultural flows and discourses in music, media and Christian theology. Additionally, however, the new media environment shapes congregational music practice, specifically interaction between worship pastors, musicians and their congregations. In this sense, the worship pastor is also mediated to the congregation. This chapter examines the tensions of acting as both mediators and sites of mediation, and raises key questions for realizing the Christian pastoral role in new media environments.

Dreaming Urban Indigenous Australian Christian Worship in the Great Southland of the Holy Spirit.

Songs of Praise: Music and Worship in Global Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity. , Jul 2015

An Australian Worship Leader's Journey from Hillsong to "Singing Up Country"

Worship and Mission for the Global Church: An Ethnodoxology Handbook, 2013

Explainer: Why Some Churches Teach that Women are Separate but Equal

by Tanya Riches and Mark Jennings

The Conversation, 2016

Some Christians interpret Biblical teachings to say that women are essentially equal to men, but ... more

Hiding the Truth: Honouring the Coloured Diggers - A Conversation with Ray Minniecon

This ABC Religion and Ethics article is an interview with Uncle Ray Minniecon, an Aboriginal past... more This ABC Religion and Ethics article is an interview with Uncle Ray Minniecon, an Aboriginal pastor in Sydney's inner city. It outlines the role he has played in the recognition of Australia's Aboriginal servicemen and women, and the significance of the Aboriginal church in community organizing initiatives.

Redeeming Australia Day: How How Aboriginal Christians are Challenging Australian Spirituality

Many millennials are now turning to deeper meaning-making in place of Australia Day's drunken bar... more Many millennials are now turning to deeper meaning-making in place of Australia Day's drunken barbeque rituals and gaudy displays of the Australian flag. Spirituality is now celebrated in previously secular spaces. This article outlines how Aboriginal Australians are leading the nation towards deeper meaningfulness.

Why the media doesn't get Hillsong: Reflections of an Australian Pentecostal

Can worship energize social justice? Interaction ritual chains in Australia’s urban Aboriginal-led Pentecostal congregations.

Christian worship is evaluated in a variety of different ways. With tradition serving an importan... more Christian worship is evaluated in a variety of different ways. With tradition serving an important role, the infamous ‘worship wars’ can be seen as a dispute centred on opposing evaluations of style. Additionally, many evangelicals evaluate worship by its content, examining its theological orthodoxy, musical proficiency, and poetic beauty. But can (and should) worship be evaluated by its social outcomes? Randall Collins (2004) proposes a theory of interaction ritual chains that suggests any organization can be conceived as a string of rituals. One ritual leads into another as participants are energized. In the Pentecostal congregational setting, emotional energy is highly important to the informal evaluation of worship. Collin’s theory allows scholars the potential to investigate outcomes of the pentecostal worship service in ways congruent with the Pentecostal imagination. This paper draws upon ethnographic research in three of Australia’s urban Aboriginal-led pentecostal congregations and investigates interaction ritual chains as a helpful theoretical frame for the congregational setting.

Urban Indigenous Australian Pentecostals and their 'others': Imagine Church, Mount Druitt.

"Dreaming and Spirit-filled Christianity: Intersections of Spirit and Spirituality "

Please send expressions of interest with a 400 word abstract to: tanyariches@gmail.com.

Wanjiru M. Gitau, Megachurch Christianity Reconsidered: Millennials and Social Change in African Perspective (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic Press, 2018). 190 pp. $27.00 paperback.

Pneuma, 2019