Date of Graduation
Spring 2010
Degree
Master of Arts in Religious Studies
Department
Religious Studies
Committee Chair
Martha Finch
Abstract
This study develops a continuum-based model of manipulation and applies it to the act of revival preaching using the examples of four influential Protestant evangelists from American history: Charles Grandison Finney, Aimee Semple McPherson, Billy Sunday, and Billy Graham. The manipulativeness exhibited by these revival preachers includes behavioral tactics combined with a rhetorical style that elicit an emotional response from the audience. The emotional response prompts audience members to make what they and their religious leaders presume is a life altering decision either to convert to a new belief system or to adhere to an already held belief system with renewed fervor.
Keywords
manipulation, revival preaching, evangelist, Charles G. Finney, Billy Sunday, Aimee Semple McPherson, Billy Graham
Subject Categories
Religion
Copyright
© Nena Leann Kircher
Recommended Citation
Kircher, Nena Leann, "Selling Timeshares in Heaven: A Psychological-Historical Analysis of Revival Preaching in the United States" (2010). MSU Graduate Theses. 2584.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/2584
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