MCDONALDIZATION, KOMODIFIKASI AGAMA, DAN MEGACHURCH DI ASIA: STUDI KASUS CITY HARVEST CHURCH SINGAPURA DALAM PERSPEKTIF JOY TONG KOOI CHIN

Abstract

The rise of megachurches in Asia signifies a profound transformation in how religion is practiced, managed, and communicated in modern public spaces. This article analyzes the concept of McDonaldization in the context of megachurches through a case study of City Harvest Church in Singapore, as examined by Joy Tong Kooi Chin in the chapter “McDonaldization and the Megachurches” in Religious Commodifications in Asia. Employing a qualitative literature-based method, this study critically engages Chin’s work alongside scholarship in sociology of religion, commodification theory, and globalization studies. Thematic analysis explores organizational rationalization, the production of religious experience, and the intersection of faith, market logic, and modernity. The findings suggest that megachurches are not merely expressions of religious commercialization but strategic adaptations of religious institutions to modern capitalist rationality. This article contributes to Indonesian religious studies by providing a critical framework for understanding contemporary religious dynamics in Asia.

Fenomena megachurch di Asia menandai transformasi signifikan dalam cara agama dipraktikkan, dikelola, dan dikomunikasikan di ruang publik modern. Artikel ini bertujuan menganalisis konsep McDonaldization dalam konteks megachurch melalui studi kasus City Harvest Church di Singapura sebagaimana dikaji oleh Joy Tong Kooi Chin dalam bab “McDonaldization and the Megachurches” pada buku Religious Commodifications in Asia. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan metode kajian pustaka kritis terhadap karya Chin dan literatur pendukung dalam sosiologi agama, teori komodifikasi, dan studi globalisasi. Analisis dilakukan secara tematik untuk mengkaji rasionalisasi organisasi keagamaan, produksi pengalaman religius, serta relasi antara iman, pasar, dan modernitas. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahwa megachurch tidak sekadar merefleksikan komersialisasi agama, tetapi juga menampilkan adaptasi strategis institusi keagamaan terhadap logika kapitalisme modern. Artikel ini berkontribusi pada pengembangan studi agama di Indonesia dengan menawarkan kerangka analisis kritis terhadap dinamika agama kontemporer di Asia.