Pentecostal Women and Religious Reformation in the Progressive Era: the Political Novelty of Women’S Religious and Organizational Leadership
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East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University Electronic Theses and Dissertations Student Works 8-2020 Pentecostal Women and Religious Reformation in the Progressive Era: The Political Novelty of Women’s Religious and Organizational Leadership Sherry Kaye Ms. East Tennessee State University Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd Part of the History of Religion Commons, and the Women's Studies Commons Recommended Citation Kaye, Sherry Ms., "Pentecostal Women and Religious Reformation in the Progressive Era: The Political Novelty of Women’s Religious and Organizational Leadership" (2020). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3795. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3795 This Thesis - unrestricted is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Pentecostal Women and Religious Reformation in the Progressive Era: The Political Novelty of Women’s Religious and Organizational Leadership ________________________ A thesis presented to The faculty of the Department of History East Tennessee State University In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in History ________________________ by Sherry Kaye August 2020 ________________________ Tom Lee, Chair Jennifer A. Adler William Douglas Burgess Keywords: Progressive Era, Pentecostal Women, Religion, Reform, ABSTRACT Pentecostal Women and Religious Reformation in the Progressive Era: The Political Novelty of Women’s Religious and Organizational Leadership by Sherry Kaye The Progressive Era in America from 1870 to 1920 introduced unprecedented change in the way Americans lived, worked, and thought about themselves in relation to the rest of the world. New platforms of charitable benevolence, religious activism, and legislative reform were enacted to meet the changed demographic landscape initiated by waves of new immigration from Europe. The tenor of religious worship shifted in mainstream and evangelical churches to reflect not only new ways of response to these changes, but new ideas of women as authoritative leaders in secular and religious institutions. Charismatic evangelical women influenced by an era of change worked to establish autonomous ministries unbeholden to clergymen who declined to accept their scriptural authority to preach or occupy the pulpit. Women who identified within Holiness and Pentecostal traditions were no longer content to preach from street-corners or rented meeting rooms. Instead, women who considered themselves prophets and preachers established ministries that supported their initiatives of religious reform and advancement of women. 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The production of this thesis has been a long and difficult project that could not have been accomplished without the help, guidance, and advice of Committee Chair, Tom Lee. Indeed, the very idea of using the Progressive Era in America to contextualize the changing political and religious landscape was his. It has been a rare privilege and pleasure to work with Tom who brought a much needed professionalism and high standard of academic accountability to the task of historical research. I would also like to thank Jennifer Axsom Adler for her timely advice on the religious history of women in America and for her service on the Committee. As a highly respected leader in the field of religious studies, Jennifer contributed her knowledge of religion to shaping the issues surrounding women, power, and religious authority. My thanks to Jennifer for her keen editorial review and commentary that has greatly improved the academic quality of this study. Finally, I would like to thank William Douglas Burgess for his critical review, keen insight, and good humor in his comments on the text and for his service on the Committee. As an editor, Burgess performed the task with patience and good-will refining the text to meet the high standard required of historical writing. I also want to acknowledge the generous contribution of Holston Conference Archivist Daniel Ferkin, Tennessee Wesleyan University Library, Athens, Tennessee for his time, effort, and diligence in providing documents needed for this paper. As well, a special thank you to Archivist Steve Zeleny, Heritage Archives Department, Foursquare Church, Los Angeles, California for his cooperation and provision of primary documents used in the production of this paper. These archivists epitomize the professionalism of their occupation. Last, I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the staff of Sherrod Library, East Tennessee State University for their cooperation in procuring the many books needed to write this paper. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .....................................................................................................................................2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................3 LIST OF FIGURES .........................................................................................................................5 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................6 CHAPTER 2. HISTORIOGRAPHY .............................................................................................16 Progressive Reform, Immigration, and Catholicism ........................................................20 Progressive Reform, Women and Religion ......................................................................36 Progressive Reform and Pentecostal Women...................................................................47 Summary and Analysis .....................................................................................................53 CHAPTER 3. PROGRESSIVE ERA REFORM AND SOCIAL ACTIVISM..............................55 Immigration, Religion, and Culture..................................................................................59 Settlement Houses, Social Elites, and Social Gospel .......................................................62 Race and the Ku Klux Klan ..............................................................................................66 Summary and Analysis .....................................................................................................69 CHAPTER 4. PROPHETS AND PREACHERS...........................................................................70 Maria Beulah Woodworth-Etter: Charismatic Faith Healer and Minister .......................71 Aimee Semple McPherson: Evangelical Celebrity and Institutional Leader ...................88 Alma Bridwell White: Religious Leader, Women’s Rights Advocate, and Racist ........103 Summary and Analysis ...................................................................................................115 CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSION.....................................................................................................117 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................134 VITA ............................................................................................................................................154 4 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Woodworth-Etter in traditional pose ..............................................................................73 Figure 2. Woodworth-Etters first church. Built 1918, Indianapolis, Indiana ................................75 Figure 3. Revival tent used for evangelical prayer meetings on the road ......................................75 Figure 4. Aimee Semple McPherson: Hollywood pose inside Angeles Temple (1920) ...............89 Figure 5. Camp meetings sustain McPherson and company financially .......................................91 Figure 6. Temporary tent city set up by McPherson and her first husband Robert Semple ..........91 Figure 7. McPherson provided free meals to homeless and indigent in Los Angeles ...................92 Figure 8. Inside the commissary men who were out of work and out of luck receive a meal .......93 Figure 9. Angelus Temple, 1923 ....................................................................................................94 Figure 10. Choir and staging inside Angelus Temple ....................................................................95 Figure 11. Elaborate sets and costumed performers on stage of Angelus Temple ........................96 Figure 12. Alma Bridwell White .................................................................................................103 Figure 13. Alma Bridwell White .................................................................................................103 Figure 14. Alma White ................................................................................................................104 Figure 15. Ku Klux Klan, Zarephath, New Jersey 1920 ..............................................................117 5 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION In the early twentieth century in the torpid heat of a late August afternoon in 1904, the female evangelist Maria Beulah Woodworth-Etter held an assembled crowd of hundreds enthralled. A staff writer for the St. Louis Dispatch stood watching in disbelief as those who kneeled before