Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1992 American Civil Religion and the Presidential Rhetoric of Jimmy Carter. Michael James Adee Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Adee, Michael James, "American Civil Religion and the Presidential Rhetoric of Jimmy Carter." (1992). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 5370. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/5370 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. 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Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. AMERICAN CIVIL RELIGION AND THE PRESIDENTIAL RHETORIC OF JIMMY CARTER A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Speech Communication by Michael James Adee B.S., Louisiana State University, 1977 M. Div., Southwestern Theological Seminary, 1981 August 1992 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would not find myself at this place in my journey if it had not been for the many persons in my circle of family and friends who have loved and supported me so well. I am especially grateful to Larry and Ruby Adee for their generous support throughout my graduate study and teaching career. This project would not have been completed without my director. Dr. Andrew King, who inspired hope and confidence, a man whose unique blend of intelligence and kindness I admire. I count it a privilege to have had so many hours of conversation with him. He is truly a mentor. I would also like to acknowledge the investment of my committee and their contributions, in particular. Dr. Kenneth Zagacki for the challenge he has offered me throughout my graduate study. Many friends have encouraged me and I am grateful for them. I especially want to acknowledge Barry Pitts, Regina Hoffman, Dr. Donald P. Lee, Dr. Bennie Coates, Darren Whatley, and Linda Lee. I dedicate this work to the memory of my mother: Mary Doris Walker Adee She loved me and others with an unconditional love. She brought hope, and laughter, and joy to my life. She taught me to believe in myself, my abilities, and in making a ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. difference in the world. Her legacy to me includes a sense of justice, compassion, and optimism. Ill Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. t a b l e o f c o n t e n t s page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..................................... ii ABSTRACT ........................................... vi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ............................ 1 Background .............................. 1 The Study in Context .................... 1 Question ................................. 5 Theory and Scope ........................ 7 Justification ............................ 8 Methodology.............................. 9 Definitions.............................. 10 Summary ................................ 17 2 BIOGRAPHY OF CARTER ...................... 18 Introduction ............................ 18 Family ................................ 18 E d u c a t i o n ................................ 21 Career ................................ 22 Carter as Fa r m e r ........................ 25 Carter as Governor ...................... 27 Carter as Southerner ................... 3 0 Carter as "Born-again" Christian .... 33 Summary ................................. 38 3 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ............... 39 Introduction ............................ 39 American civil religion ................. 39 Presidential Rhetoric ................. 41 Jimmy Carter's Political Communication . 44 Summary ................................ 46 4 METHODOLOGY .............................. 47 Introduction ............................ 47 Forerunners ............................ 47 Practioners and Salient Features .... 48 Mode of Analysis: A Litmus Test .... 60 Summary ................................. 63 5 SELECTION OF DISCOURSE.... ............... 64 Introduction and Rationale ............. 64 Nine major speeches .................... 66 B a c k g r o u n d .............................. 67 Summary ................................. 75 IV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 6 ANALYSIS OF DISCOURSE ................... 76 Introduction ............................ 76 Nominal Violations .................... 77 Doctrinal Violations ................. 89 Structural Violations ................. 121 Summary ....................... 134 C o n c l u s i o n ................................. 135 7 DISCUSSION AND SUGGESTIONS FOR RESEARCH . 147 D i s c u s s i o n ................................. 147 Implications .............................. 150 Suggestions for Future Research ........... 152 C o n c l u s i o n ................................. 153 REFERENCES .............................................. 155 VITA .................................................. 160 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT Scholars have long speculated about the role of American civil religion and political discourse. Of particular interest to rhetorical scholars is the function of a civil religion idiom within presidential discourse. The cornerstone of this study is founded upon Rod Hart's ideas in The Political Pulpit (1977) wherein the nature of American civil religion is described through the metaphor of a legal contract. A rhetorical approach to civil religion provides the framework for this study. Nine major public speeches by Carter as candidate and president, from 1974 to 1979, are examined in order to locate and identify the symbolic breeches of the historic separation of church and state. Carter's rhetorical choices clearly indicate a unique and creative use of American civil religion. This usage is unconventional insomuch as he extends the boundaries that characterize the norms of civil-religious discourse. This unconventional usage can be understood as nominal, doctrinal, and structural violations of the American civil-religious code. It seems that Carter renegotiates the boundaries between the sacred and the secular, church and state. This study presents evidence that civil religion is a tradition in flux. The examination of Carter's use of the civil- religious idiom, one of the supposed catalysts for the vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. emergence of the 'religious right,' is the focus of this study. Their mobilization for Carter in 1976 and their defection to Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984 is partly explained by Carter's separation of his administration from the religious right's agenda. Through the application of the notion of a rhetorical contract,