Feminine Style‖ and the Religious Rhetoric of Joyce Meyer
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Feminizing the Pulpit: ―Feminine Style‖ and the Religious Rhetoric of Joyce Meyer _________________________ Presented to the Faculty Regent University School of Communication and the Arts _________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy in Communication by Tracy Hasley Frederick April 2009 School of Communication and the Arts Regent University This is to certify that the dissertation prepared by: Tracy Hasley Frederick entitled FEMINIZING THE PULPIT: “FEMININE STYLE” AND THE RELIGIOUS RHETORIC OF JOYCE MEYER Has been approved by her committee as satisfactory completion of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Michael P. Graves, Ph.D., Chair Date School of Communication and the Arts Benson P. Fraser, Ph.D., Committee Member Date School of Communication and the Arts Lorene Wales, Ph.D., Committee Member Date School of Communication and the Arts ii ©2009 Tracy Hasley Frederick All Rights Reserved iii Acknowledgements No journey like this one is made alone, and mine was no exception. It started a long time ago with my parents, Johnnie and Eula Hasley who instilled in me a passion for learning. It continued with undergraduate (Dr. Robert Greenstreet) and graduate (Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman) professors who saw potential in a small town, scared young woman who did not know her own voice, but who always told me my voice mattered. They gave me the confidence to travel further down the road toward a doctoral degree, Regent University, and ultimately Dr. Michael Graves. Dr. Graves will never know how a short email on Labor Day 2007: ―is this Tracy Frederick‘s email?‖ and later a post script in a subsequent email: ―I believe in you,‖ relieved the fears that the road was at an end. The Regent University Communication faculty also contributed to this journey by encouraging me along the way when the road seemed too long or too steep. In particular, I was encouraged by Dr. Lorene Wales‘ academic advice and thoughtful suggestions through the dissertation process. Also, Dr. Benson Fraser‘s excitement and insightful comments made me consider each step carefully along the dissertation path to make sure it was sure and sturdy. But my deepest thanks goes to my partner in this and every step I take, my best friend and husband, Greg, who never doubted that I would find my way even when I insisted that the road was too rocky, muddy, or steep. He held my hand, never let go, and sometime helped me back up when I stumbled, and dusted me off and sent me on my way again. Also, I owe my gratitude to my daughter, Erin, who never complained about being pulled along a journey that was not of her choosing, and somehow grew up along the way to become the person I wish I was. But, I know the journey, the path, the encouragers and the ―helpers‖ were all a part of the plan that brought me to realize that my Ph.D was never as important as my soul‘s salvation. So, my greatest thanks I owe is to my Lord for giving me the path that led me to both. iv Abstract On February 7, 2005 Time magazine reported Joyce Meyer as one of the 25 most influential Evangelicals in America. It is significant to find a female in this group considering that the public podium and pulpit has been filled almost exclusively by men, allowing a masculine style to set the standard for good public discourse, preaching, and a masculine perspective to serve as the voice for religious doctrine. When women speak, social and rhetorical expectations are different than they are for men. Despite new social opportunities for women, it is Meyer‘s feminine rhetorical style and her feminine worldview, I argue, that is the key to understanding a successful female Evangelical minister in the Evangelical community. In this dissertation I explore Joyce Meyer‘s recent popularity in the Evangelical community as a ―feminine‖ speaker. I argue that Joyce Meyer creates an alternative feminine perspective for the Evangelical audiences through her use of a feminine style. I use Karlyn Kohrs Campbell‘s theory of a ―feminine style‖ to determine if Joyce Meyer uses a feminine style consistently in her public sermons. Joyce Meyer‘s successful rhetorical style in the Evangelical community points to something more than just a religious community accepting a new preacher. It also indicates the acceptance of a feminine perspective in a traditionally male dominated context. Therefore, I focus on Meyer‘s rhetoric style within the context of social and religious norms that restrict women‘s place in public assemblies. Moreover, this study explores the potential power of the feminine style as a means to create a feminine perspective for audiences toward understanding Joyce Meyer‘s popularity as an Evangelical pulpit preacher and perhaps an even better understanding of the audiences to whom she speaks. v Table of Contents Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ iv Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................v Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................................1 The Purpose ................................................................................................................................3 Methodology ...............................................................................................................................6 Rhetoric ..................................................................................................................................7 Style .....................................................................................................................................10 Feminine Style .....................................................................................................................12 Introducing Joyce Meyer ..........................................................................................................20 Significance...............................................................................................................................25 Remaining Chapters ..................................................................................................................30 Chapter 2: Women as preachers ....................................................................................................32 Defining the Evangelical...........................................................................................................35 Female Evangelists: Historical Context ....................................................................................40 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................59 Chapter 3: The Feminine Style ......................................................................................................63 Justification for Using the Feminine Style................................................................................64 Characteristics of the Feminine Style .......................................................................................70 Personal Experience .............................................................................................................71 Induction ..............................................................................................................................72 Invites the Audience to Participate ......................................................................................73 Addressing the Audience as Peers .......................................................................................73 Identification and Empowerment .........................................................................................75 ―Feminine‖ and Feminine Style is Socially Constructed ......................................................78 Masculine Style .....................................................................................................................79 A Review of Literature Using the Feminine Style................................................................82 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................87 Chapter 4: Joyce Meyer‘s Religious Rhetoric ...............................................................................90 The Feminine Style and the Feminine Perspective ...................................................................92 vi Rational for Sermon Selection ..................................................................................................96 Femininity in the Religious Context: Establishing Authority ..................................................97 Feminine Speakers use the Feminine Style ............................................................................102 Meyer Values a Feminine Perspective through a Feminine Style .....................................103 Characteristic One: Feminine Speakers Rely on Personal Experience and Extended Narratives ...............................................................................................................................105 Meyer uses Personal Experience and Extended Narratives in her Feminine Style ...........105 Characteristic Two: Feminine Speakers Speak to their Audiences as Peers ..........................111