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Ann Arbor, MI 48106 IDENTIFICATION AS PROCESS: A RHETORICAL STUDY OF THREE TELEVANGELISTS AS SOCIAL INTERVENORS DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the- Graduate School of the Ohio State University By Virginia Kennedy Martycz, B.A., M.A. ***** The Ohio State University 1991 Dissertation Committee: Approved by J.W. Hikins , u o . S.K. Foss Adviser R.R. Monaghan Department of Communication This is dedicated to John, Joel and Charlie. They teach me much. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are many people who share a part of this dissertation. Dr. James L. Golden and Dr. William Brown were helpful in the initial stages of planning the project. The final committee members— Dr. James Hikins, Dr. Sonja Foss, and Dr. Robert Monaghan— made the completed dissertation possible. Their comments provided guidance that strengthened the work. Dr. Donald Cegala was extremely helpful as an advocate. Peg Allemang was invaluable in guiding us through the final paperwork. Lisa Zimmerman was one among many of the people at Clark State Community College who were instrumental in the completion of this project. Special thanks also go to Dr. Marsha Bordner, Dr. David Kalamas, and Joanne Lemmons. Dr. Ray McKerrow,and his wife Gayle have been the finest of friends. Without their guidance, insight and encouragement, I would not be where I am today. My entire family has been supportive and patient. My husband John, son Joel, and the baby to be have helped me see the value in completing the project. My mother provided much needed physical assistance and love. VITA November 5, 1954 ........... Born - Springfield, Ohio 1976 ........................ The Defiance College, Defiance, Ohio 1976-1978 ................... Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Maine at Orono, Maine 1978 M.A. , Speech Communication, University of Maine at Orono, Orono, Maine 1979-1980 ................. Administrative Aide, Bangor Community Theatre, Bangor, Maine 1980-1983 ................. Instructor, University of Maine at Presque Isle, Presque Isle, Maine 1983-1987 ................. Graduate Teaching Assistant, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1986-Present ............. Adjunct Faculty Member and Human Resource Development Specialist, Clark State Community College, Springfield, Ohio FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Communication Studies in Rhetoric and Public Address, Communication Theory, and Telecommunication LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE 1. Methodological framework employed in the study ...........................60 v TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ................................................ ll ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................... iii VITA ....................................................... iv LIST OF FIGURES ......................................... V CHAPTER PAGE I. IDENTIFICATION AS PROCESS: A THEORETICAL GROUNDING OF SOCIAL INTERVENTION..... ........... 1 Background ................................. 1 Nature and Relevance of the Problem . 3 Purpose of Study ........................ 8 Source Material/Primary Data ........... 13 Organization of the Dissertation ......... 14 II. RHETORICAL CONTEXT: TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY VIEWS OF RHETORIC'S ROLE IN RELIGION ........... 15 Introduction ............................ 15 General Approaches to Preaching ......... 16 Televangelism ............................ 25 Conclusions .............................. 3 0 III. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE RHETORICAL SITUATION, IDENTIFICATION, AND SOCIAL INTERVENTION . 32 Introduction ............................ 32 The Rhetorical Situation ............... 3 2 Exigence ...............................3 3 Constraints ............................ 3 5 Audience ...............................3 7 S u m m a r y .................................38 Identification in Rhetoric ............. 3 9 Brown's Model of Social Intervention « . 42 The Needs Sub-Cycle ....................... 45 The Power Sub-Cycle ....................... 49 The Attention Sub-Cycle ................ 55 S u m m a r y .................................... 59 IV. THE PTL CLUB: A RHETORIC OF H O P E ................ 63 Introduction ............................... 63 Basic Format ................................ 64 The Attention Cycle and PTL ................ 67 The Need Cycle and PTL .....................79 The Power Cycle and PTL .....................85 Summary ...................................... 87 V. A STUDY IN THE WORD: A RHETORIC OF THREAT . 88 Introduction ................................. 88 Basic Format .................................... 89 The Attention Cycle and A Study In The Word 90 The Need Cycle and A Study In The Word . 98 The Power Cycle and A Study In The Word . 105 Summary .................................... 112 VI. THE 700 CLUB: A RHETORIC OF ACTION .... 114 Introduction ............................... 114 Basic Format ............................ 115 The Attention Cyce and The 700 Club . 116 The Need Cycle and The 700 Club ......... 125 The Power Cycle and The 700 C l u b ............. 129 Summary .................................... 132 VII. IDENTIFICATION AND SOCIAL INTERVENTION: CONTRASTS AND IMPLICATIONS ............................. 133 Introduction ............................... 133 The PTL C l u b ............................ 133 A Study in the W o r d ..................... 137 The 700 C l u b ............................ 141 Bases for Identification .............. 145 Implications for Future Rhetorical Studies 151 Limitations of the S t u d y .............. 156 BIBLIOGRAPHY .......................................... 158 vii CHAPTER I IDENTIFICATION AS PROCESS: A THEORETICAL GROUNDING OF SOCIAL INTERVENTION Background George Gallup declared 1976 "the year of the evangeli­ cal" as a soft-spoken born-again Christian named James Earl Carter became President of the United States. Conservatism appeared to gain a stronger foot-hold in America as Ronald Reagan was elected President in 1980, backed by Jerry Falw- ell and the Moral Majority. Televangelism is intimately linked to the apparent resurgence of fundamentalist religion in America. Ben Armstong, executive director of the National Religious Broadcasters, states that Starting in the predawn hours each Sunday morning, the largest religious gathering in America takes place, drawing almost 10 million people to their radio and television sets. What happens is both exciting and miraculous. It involves a new approach to a problem as old as the Bible: how to introduce struggling, helpless individuals to a loving God who wants to help them meet Him and be born again. This amazing event takes place every week, all week, from early Sunday morning through the final midnight stroke on Saturday night. Making this possible is the awesome technology of broad­ casting, which many consider to be one of the major miracles of modern times; and making it 1 2 meaningful is the overwhelming love of a God who cares passionately about each one of the world's four billion people. I believe that God has raised up this powerful technology of radio and television expressly to reach every man, woman, boy, and girl on earth with the even more powerful message of the gospel. (1979: 7) The 1970s saw a proliferation of religious broadcast stations. More dramatic than the numbers, however, was the change in the style of many of the broadcasters. As one writer claims There was a time when one could spot TV evangelism immediately because it took the form of a televised sermon. The preacher was often robed, and he usually preached at high volume and with maximum sanctimony . But with the sound turned down on the "700 Club," it would take a while for a viewer to discover that this talk show is broadcasting the Gospel. (Barton, 1979: 886) Perhaps even more impressive was the fact that reli­ gious broadcasting became