Wife, Mommy, Pastor and Friend

The Rise of Female Evangelical Microcelebrities

Bibliographic Data

ID4900958
AuthorsKatie Christine Gaddini, Katie Gaddini (0000-0001-9549-678X, University College London, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume12
Issue9
Pages758
Publication date2021-09-13
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel12090758
OpenAlexW3200387909
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited48

The popularity of digital media has spurred what has been called a "crisis of authority". How do female evangelical microcelebrities figure in this crisis? Many of these women belong to churches led by male pastors, have amassed a large following online, and are sought-after speakers and teachers. This paper analyses how gender, religious authority, and the digital sphere collide through the rise of female evangelical microcelebrities. Bringing together ethnographic data, textual analysis, and social media analysis of six prominent women, I emphasize the power of representation to impact religious practices and religious meaning. This article examines how evangelical women are performing and negotiating their legitimacy as the Internet and fluid geographical boundaries challenge local models of religious authority. Moving away from a binary perspective of "having" or "not having" authority, this paper considers the various spheres of authority that evangelical microcelebrities occupy, including normative womanhood, prosperity theology, and politics. Finally, by examining the social media content put forth by female evangelical microcelebrities, I interrogate the political stakes of evangelical women's authority

Legitimacy · Media studies · Political science · Politics · Popularity · Prosperity · Social media · Sociology · Gender Studies · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Law · Media, Religion, Digital Communication · Religious Tourism and Spaces

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Open DOIOpen Access