THE COST OF CERTAINTY : LIMITATIONS OF THE CENTRAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF SINGAPORE

Abstract

The thesis looks into the reasons behind the high drop-out rate in the Christian Fundamentalist church, The Central Christian Church of Singapore (CCC). By situating the rise of Fundamentalism within the context of the proliferation of risks in late modernity, I seek to show that the appeal of CCC lies in the promises of a utopia, characterised by certainty of living "the good life" as espoused by the conservative moral entrepreneurs. Ironically, this certainty can only be achieved through the categorical control of members' lives. The techniques of governance such as surveillance, risks discourse and normalisation are found to be oppressive by some of the members who then chose to leave the church. The thesis is thus a critique of the past studies on Christianity which have noted the organisational strength of Fundamentalist churches as reasons for its growth. By focusing on the post-conversion dynamics, I hope to show that the rational, bureaucratic aspect of CCC is a double-edged sword since it is both effective in ensuring "the good life" is lived by its members and alienating in its control. The thesis is also a critique of life in late modernity, of risk discourses and the tyranny of expertise. However, it is noted that the individual can choose between the competing forms of experts' knowledge as anchorage. In addition, the flexibility of the organisation is shown in CCC's current attempts at reformation so as to maximise its growth by controlling the problem of a high-drop-out rate.