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A Textual Analysis of Late Nineteenth Century Christian Women

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A Textual Analysis of Late Nineteenth Century Christian Women DEVOUT PEDAGOGIES: A TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY CHRISTIAN WOMEN Tiffany R. Wang A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY August 2017 Committee: Sue Carter Wood, Advisor Ellen W. Gorsevski Graduate Faculty Representative Kristine Blair Lee Nickoson © 2017 Tiffany R. Wang All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Sue Carter Wood, Advisor This project is situated in scholarship surrounding the rescue, recovery, and (re)inscription of historical women rhetors, particularly those within religious spaces. It places a lens on the rhetorical practices of two religious women: Jessie Penn-Lewis and Margaret E. Barber. I argue that it is important to investigate these women, for doing so reveals not only an area that has not received extensive critical attention, but also informs how scholars look at pedagogy, particularly in religious spaces. The project and methods are grounded in feminist research practices. This project is historical in nature and will thus draw upon feminist historical and archival research methods as my primary methods of investigation. Further, this project is framed as two case studies, which examine closely through textual analysis surviving work produced by these women to begin to extend our knowledge of pedagogical and rhetorical practices in religious spaces. The heuristic used to investigate these texts and women bring forward key themes for study and application such as: how space is used, whether rhetorical or physical; what kind of tools can be used or appropriated for teaching practices; how texts and women circulate and under what conditions and intentions. Finally, I argue for their inclusion within the rhetorical canon as well as rewriting histories of women’s rhetoric; for their work is not only worthy of recognition from the past but more importantly for future scholarship that acknowledges the ways in which institutions of power are still over girls and women. This dissertation points further to the need to research literate practices of “ordinary” people and the barriers of public and private still existing today. iv To my husband, for his support through the latter portion of this project. For my true brothers and sisters who have helped to grow into who I am and most importantly to my Lord, Jesus Christ, for granting me a new way to see and to live v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS With all gratitude, I wish to thank my committee chair, Sue Carter Wood, not only for her continual support and encouragement throughout the course of this project but also for her inspiration and nurturing from the beginning of my journey at this institution. She has carried multiple roles to see me through to success both in and out of the classroom. She has been a friend, confidant, academic mother and voice of reason that have been key to my completion of this project and my growth at Bowling Green University. I am very thankful. I also offer my warmest thanks to my committee members, Dr. Kris Blair and Dr. Lee Nickoson, who provided excellent feedback and encouragement on this project. They have pushed me to think in directions and consider perspectives which were key for adding rigor to this project. I wish to thank my faculty representative, Dr. Ellen Gorsevski, who removed any trepidation I had over presenting my project to a scholar from another field. She instead, has brought genuine interest, encouraging feedback and support which was more than I could have asked for. Thank you. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. RHETORICAL PRACTICES IN RELIGIOUS SPACES: A LOOK FROM PAST TO PRESENT……………………………………………………................. 1 Introduction ………………………………………………………………...........… 1 Background …………………………………………............................................... 1 Coming to the Project……………………………………………………………… 2 Why these Women?.............................................................................................. ..... 3 Jessie Penn-Lewis………………………………………………….. ............ 4 Margaret E. Barber……………………......................................................... 5 Methods and Methodology……………………………………………………… .... 6 Research Questions…………………….................................................................... 6 Literature Review………………............................................................................... 7 Writing (Wo)men into the Canon……………………… .............................. 7 Including Voices from the Margins…………………………. ...................... 9 Negotiating Spaces…………………............................................................. 11 Christian Tradition in Rhetoric: Preaching and Teaching………….. ........... 13 Rhetorical and Pedagogical Practices of Women in the Christian Tradition – Early Europe…………………………………………… ........... 14 Rhetorical and Pedagogical Practices in the Christian Tradition – America……………................................................................... 19 Scholars on the Rhetorical Practices of Religious Women…….. ................. 25 Spaces for Inventive Pedagogy………………………….............................. 29 vii Chapter Overview…………………… ...................................................................... 30 Chapter 2: Methodologies and Method for Analysis ………………………. 30 Chapter 3: Case Study of Jessie Penn-Lewis…………………..................... 31 Chapter 4: Case Study of M. E. Barber…….. ............................................... 31 Chapter 5: Conclusion………………………................................................ 32 Significance of the Project………………................................................................. 32 II. METHOD AND METHODOLOGY: A FEMINIST APPROACH TO TEXTUAL ANALYSIS THROUGH HEURISTIC…………………............................ 35 Methodology………………...................................................................................... 35 Archival Research………………….............................................................. 36 Feminist Histories………………………… .................................................. 39 Methods……………………….................................................................................. 41 Heuristics……………………. ...................................................................... 41 Heuristics for Feminist Rhetorical Practices……………………….............. 43 Heuristic for Social Circulation….. ................................................... 44 Textual Analysis……. ................................................................................... 46 Triangulation from the Digital Humanities……............................................ 48 Limitations…………………………………….. ....................................................... 49 Conclusion…………………………………………………… ................................. 51 III. CIRCULATION OF THE SPIRIT: A CASE STUDY OF JESSIE PENN LEWIS …………………………….............................................................. 52 Introduction…............................................................................................................ 52 Background…................................................................................................ 52 viii Heuristic Findings….................................................................................................. 53 Voyant Analysis……………..................................................................................... 76 Corpus Analysis…......................................................................................... 76 Discussion….............................................................................................................. 77 Conclusion….. ........................................................................................................... 80 IV. MEANS OF THE SPIRIT: CASE STUDY OF MARGARET E. BARBER……............................................................................................ 82 Introduction………………………………................................................................ 82 Background…………………….................................................................... 82 Heuristic Findings….................................................................................................. 84 Voyant Analysis………............................................................................................. 117 Corpus Analysis……..................................................................................... 117 Discussion of Themes……………............................................................................ 118 Late Nineteenth Century Missionary Work Norms…................................... 118 Historical Contexts…..................................................................................... 119 Hymnody……................................................................................................ 119 Social Circulation…....................................................................................... 120 Conclusion……………………………. .................................................................... 122 V. CONCLUSIONS……...................................................................................................... 125 Introduction…............................................................................................................ 125 Findings………………………………….................................................................. 127 Social Circulation…....................................................................................... 127 Space….........................................................................................................
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