The Curious Life

The Kingdom with Marc Fennell

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Episode notes

Ever wondered what really happens inside the stadiums of Hillsong?

Or what exactly it is that draws people into these large-scale production religious events, that have even had the likes of Justin Bieber front and centre? And what encourages church members to dedicate their entire lives to the church, at what can sometimes be huge financial and personal costs?

Well, you’re about to find out.

In this episode, I sat down with renowned journalist Marc Fennell, to unpack his experience making the brilliant new documentary, The Kingdom.

Marc grew up in the Pentecostal church and brings a unique perspective to the complexities of faith and the juggernaut that is these larger than life, megachurch operations. Marc delves into how allegations of bullying, sexual assault and financial mismanagement have eroded Hillsong’s once mighty empire and examines the answer to the question, who is going to inherit the remainder of the Kingdom?

This was an eye-opening conversation about faith, belief, corruption and came with a lot of deep thinking and reflection from Marc’s own personal experience as a former church member.

You can catch this fascinating doco on SBS On Demand and you can find Marc on socials at @marcfennell.

Follow me at @thecuriouslifepodcast and @thedaysthatfollow and if you’ve enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review on iTunes.

Audio engineering by Julie Reynolds of @audiolemonade – www.audiolemonade.com