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Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction Du Branch Patrimoine De I'edition CHARLES TEMPLETON AND THE PERFORMANCES OF UNBELIEF by DAVID VANCE, B.A. A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of History Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario August 12,2008 © Copyright 2008, David Vance Library and Bibliotheque et 1*1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-43500-7 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-43500-7 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par Plntemet, prefer, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non­ sur support microforme, papier, electronique commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels de nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation. reproduced without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne Privacy Act some supporting sur la protection de la vie privee, forms may have been removed quelques formulaires secondaires from this thesis. ont ete enleves de cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires in the document page count, aient inclus dans la pagination, their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. any loss of content from the thesis. Canada Abstract To date, the life of Charles Templeton has been examined only with regard to the manner in which he "commodified" Christianity, thus ensuring its continued vitality and relevance in twentieth-century Canada. This thesis demonstrates that Templeton's life can also be used to investigate the ways in which he publically presented "unbelief according to the assumptions and expectations of the culture in which he operated. Through his work in four different media - religious literature, television, novels and autobiography - Templeton's various expressions of unbelief demonstrated an ongoing transition away from Christianity and towards an alternate interpretive framework. Moreover, his consistent framing of these expressions within the cultural context of each medium reflected four distinct "performances": inadvertent "echoes" of unbelief in his religious literature, an "investigative" unbelief in his television interviews, a "dramatic" unbelief in his novels, and a "noble" unbelief in his autobiography. n Acknowledgements It is impossible to know where to begin my thanks, for so many people have been helpful and supportive throughout the construction of this project. At Atlantic Baptist University, Dr. Dan Goodwin introduced me to the idea of studying Charles Templeton, and Dr. Dennis Bustin was a source of encouragement as well. These two professors were exceptional in their active involvement in their students' lives, and I benefitted personally, rather than just academically, from their efforts. At Carleton University, Dr. Joanna Dean challenged me to re-examine many of my preconceptions regarding the history and expression of Christianity, and she did so in a way that allowed me to draw my own conclusions. She has been an excellent supervisor, the best example of her dedication being found in her editing of my chapters while on vacation in Norway, using a computer in the lobby of the hotel. Dr. James Opp, my second supervisor, has also been influential in my developing approach to religious history. He has been patient and supportive, even while pushing me to perform beyond what I believed possible. His help during the rather late nights of the revising process was especially appreciated. Thanks to Richard Gilbert, Ernie Campbell and Ted Smith for taking time to speak to me about their experiences with Templeton. While the scope of the thesis did not allow much discussion of Templeton's Christianity outside of his religious writings, it is my hope that others will be able to benefit from the information you provided. To the members of the Metropolitan Bible Church where I fellowshipped and worked, thanks for your flexibility with me as I continually tried to balance my employment and school work. Thanks also for your patience during the various times in iii which I absentmindedly left potent critiques of Christianity in the church lobby. To Pastor Rick Reed, who consistently showed interest in the project, thanks for your encouragement. To the staff of the Starbucks on Carling and Woodroffe, thanks for providing a welcoming atmosphere day after day (after day after day). I cannot begin to express thanks to my friends and family. Many of these people kept in touch with me closely during the writing process to ensure that I was still alive, and to invite me out for ice cream or coffee when they thought I needed a break. Others gave me space when they knew I needed it, respecting my need to finish this thesis. To all of these wonderful people, I am deeply appreciative. To my wife, Chrissy - what can I say? You have been to me the very image of grace and kindness as this project weighed so heavily, at times, on our first year of marriage. You are a gift to me. Thanks for everything. It has been strange, as a relatively conservative Christian, to write about expressions of secularism and religious decline. Nevertheless, I have made it through the maze, and I seem to be alright. Thanks to God for guiding me through. IV Table of Contents Abstract 11 Acknowledgements in Table of Contents Introduction 1 Chapter 1 Inside Christian Literature 19 Chapter 2 Inside Television 42 Chapter 3 Inside Novels 73 Chapter 4 Inside Autobiography 113 Conclusion 152 Bibliography 159 v Introduction The world's a scene of changes, and to be Constant, in nature were inconstancy. In an obituary for his friend, Charles Templeton, Pierre Berton summarized Templeton's life with the simple phrase, "A remarkable Canadian." This was certainly an apt way of describing Templeton, a man whose life entertained, challenged, and confused millions throughout the nation as he pursued a plethora of different career paths, rose to the top of each, and did all of this while remaining firmly planted within the public eye. Commonly called "the Dwight L. Moody of our day" in the years between the 1936 and 1957, Templeton rose from humble roots in Toronto, Ontario, to become - at least in terms of sheer numbers - Canada's greatest evangelist.3 During this time, he served as the president of Youth for Christ in Canada and led rallies of up to sixteen thousand people at the Maple Leafs Gardens.4 He then became the shared "official evangelist" of the American National Council of Churches and the United Church of Canada, drawing record-breaking crowds in major cities throughout Canada and preaching to an average of 1,500,000 people per year - "converting," in the process, an average of 150 people each night of his campaigns.5 1 Quote by Abraham Cowley. Templeton inserted this quote before the preface of his memoir. Charles Templeton, Charles Templeton: An Anecdotal Memoir (Toronto: McClelland and Steward Limited, 1983). 2 Pierre Berton, "Lives Lived: Charles Bradley Templeton" in the Globe and Mail (September 6, 2001). 3 Collin Hansen, "Billy Graham's Bible Dilemma" Christian History & Biography 83 (Summer, 2004). 4 "16000 Worshippers Flock to Youth Rally" in the Globe and Mail (June 17, 1946). 5 Templeton, Charles Templeton, 64; Edward Boyd, "Religion's Super Salesman," in American Magazine (August, 1953). 1 2 In 1957, Templeton shocked and devastated the Christian communities in North America by renouncing his faith and ministry. Rather than fading into memory, however, he moved even further into the limelight by establishing himself as a public personality in various media industries. For example, immediately after he left the faith in 1957, he became quite involved with the television industry, functioning as an interviewer for the popular CBC affairs show, Close-Up, and winning two awards as "Best Newcomer to Canadian Television" for his interviewing skills.6 In 1966, he took on the directorship of CTV's fledgling News and Public Affairs department and helped shape the development of the television industry. In addition to television, he participated heavily in the print industry, serving in 1959 as the executive managing editor of Canada's biggest newspaper at the time, the Toronto Star. Ten years later, he accepted the position of editor-in-chief of Maclean's magazine. He was conspicuous as well in the radio industry, having run, with Pierre Berton, a program called Dialogue, in which the two well-known characters daily "discuss[ed] the news in an opinionated way," as Templeton described it.7 This program ran for almost eighteen years, produced nearly four thousand broadcasts, and in 1978 won an award for "Best Radio Program."8 During the period between the mid 1940s and the mid 1980s, Charles Templeton was a recognizable figure to anybody who regularly watched television, read the paper, or listened to the radio. Given this exceptional amount of public exposure and influence, the degree to which Templeton has been ignored by Canadian historians is fascinating.
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