Born-Again Boogie

Abstract

This article examines the culture of California Christian nightclubs opened by evangelical entrepreneurs in the 1970s and ’80s. These venues were part of an effort to reclaim secular spaces and transform them into Christian copies of typical nightlife sites like bars and dance clubs. The nightclubs were designed to break the stereotype of religious spaces as anti-fun, offering a secular feel with dance floors and state-of-the-art sound systems. The article explores the rise of Christian nightclubs, the development and culture of these evangelical spaces, and the reasons for their failure to become a significant part of American nightlife. Despite the excitement of Christians at the opening of these venues across the United States, no real mass Christian nightlife movement developed. Although Christian nightclubs opened in various cities well into the twenty-first century, they survived only briefly as novelty creations. Because they were unprofitable, they failed to create a lasting Christian nightlife culture.