Different Under God: A Survey of Church-going Protestants in Singapore

“Different Under God reveals the outcomes of a major survey of Protestant church-goers in Singapore. Conducted by Terence Chong and Hui Yew-Foong, between December 2009 and January 2011, this is a survey of 2,663 people from 24 churches,  consisting of Anglican, Methodist and Bible-Presbyterian, as well as independent churches and megachurches. Ostensibly, this survey is an attempt to profile the demographic, as well as value attitudes of these Protestants in relation to public/policy issues, sexuality and financial opinions. But it is also a timely effort to get to the heart of the rapid rise of the megachurch phenomenon in Singapore, particularly because of many recent high-profile public controversies involving this sector of the religious space. Different Under God reveals, the average church-goers, including megachurch attendees, are clear-minded adherents of the faith. With these new churches especially, given that many members are first-generation converts from a variety of social and educational backgrounds, there is a discernible level of moderate sensibility and objective understanding of the larger context of multiculturalism in Singapore. The disparate constitution of the megachurch landscape is one that points to dynamism and tolerance, with respondents indicating their ability to accept differences in cultural-religious practice, as well as policy matters that differ from their own values and beliefs – matters of sexuality or abortion, say. One other aspect that does stand out from this survey is the question of money and finances. Different Under God reveals that, with megachurch Christians, there is a more acute awareness of the connections between religious and material considerations. While it is easy here to make connections between these beliefs about wealth and materiality and the so-called prosperity gospels – favoured by similarly ascendant megachurches in other countries such as America and Australia – the authors are fairly clear about the inconclusiveness of such a relationship. Different Under God is an important contribution to the ongoing public and academic interests in the place of Christianity within the landscape of Singaporean multiculturalism. The project has managed to do so by setting out to explore -- and explore comprehensively -- the multifaceted character of the Protestant faith, as well as that of its adherents. The survey's achievements lay in its approach to the inquiry with no preconceived notions, as indeed some of the more surprising revelations that emerged from the data have indicated. As such, it has certainly secured its place as a dependable resource for scholars of the subject ” (Singapore Review of Books).