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"The electric church is composed of independent, entrepreneurial, evangelical ministers working to 'save souls.' There is, however, another side to its work, name­ly the creation of many large, complex organizations adept at using modern mass technology and market-oriented techniques to stir 'religious enthusiasms' and sell a political ideology."-- Razelle Frankl

When the Reverend Jerry Falwell makes foreign policy statements and the Rever­end M. G. "Pat" Robertson can consider running for the presidency, it is evident that the leaders of the electric church have mastered a powerful medium from which to sell their new term of fundamentalism--television. Their programming is slickly produced, smoothly packaged, commercially successful, and ranges from talk-show formats to the more traditional gospel broadcasts. Estimates of the audience for this programming have soared in the past ten years, and as a result more religious pro­grams are being produced than ever before in the history of electronic media.

Frankl traces the history of this new form of evangelism from its roots in urban revivalism. She finds that "The revivalist's role was more akin to that of an entrepre­neur than to that of a minister or churchman." Beginning with urban revivalists such as Billy Sunday and Dwight Moody, Frankl discusses the development of urban revivalism into the electric church, which she describes as a new social in­stitution.

In her description of this process of institution building, Frankl highlights the possible political mobilization of the televangelists as well as the growing com­mercial investment involved in the programming of the electric church. Analyzing forty-eight programs of the most prominent members of the electric church, Frankl shows the change this new social institution has undergone from its beginnings in urban revivalism to its present incarnation, especially in the nature of the traditional ritual of fundraising.

The commercial and political implications of the electric church are important issues in which Razelle Frankl has initiated formal study in this timely book. She has laid the foundation for much additional work in communication, religion, and sociology.

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• Foreword(p. xiii)
• Acknowledgments(p. xvii)
• Part I The Concept of the Electric Church(p. 1)
• 1 Introduction to the Electric Church(p. 3)
• 2 Studies of the Electric Church(p. 12)
• Part II The Emergence of Urban Revivalism(p. 21)
• 3 The Seeds of the Electric Church(p. 23)
• 4 Charles Grandison Finney and the Ethos of Revivalism(p. 33)
• 5 Dwight Moody and the Organization of Urban Revivalism(p. 43)
• 6 Billy Sunday: Businessman for the Lord(p. 51)
• Part III The Television Industry and Religious Broadcasting(p. 63)
• 7 Television: Institution for Profit(p. 65)
• 8 Television Imperatives and the Electric Church(p. 79)
• Part IV The Electric Church(p. 103)
• 9 The Variety of Messages in the Electric Church(p. 105)
• 10 The Uses of Television(p. 116)
• 11 Fundraising Television's Transformation of a Ritual(p. 128)
• 12 Conclusion(p. 143)
• Appendix A Research Strategy and Methodology(p. 159)
• Appendix B Coding Categories Used in Content Analysis(p. 168)
• Appendix C Factor Analysis Methodology and Results(p. 179)
• Bibliography(p. 181)
• Index(p. 195)

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CHOICE Review

Frankl draws connections between 19th-century revivalism and the ``electric church,'' and she documents significant changes wrought when evangelists committed themselves to the use of TV. She traces the development of the ``ethos'' of urban revivalism by Charles Finney, who demystified revivalism and defined it as a sales strategy; by Dwight Moody, who rationalized and routinized it as social organization; and by Billy Sunday, who added showmanship and commercialism. She then shows how the organizations, the role, and the message of contemporary evangelists have been altered by the ``imperatives'' of TV: its great costs, its formats, its own logic of marketing, the shift from local presentations to mass communication. Frankl teaches in management and is Coordinator of Human Resources Management at Glassboro State College, but she is a sociologist, and this is a sociological study centered on eight leading televangelists, which uses Max Weber's method of ideal types and his concept of rationalization to reach her conclusions. She discusses the affinity between the electric church and cultural fundamentalism in American politics, believes alignments with the New Right will continue, and predicts an increasing competition between televangelists over their ``market shares.'' This very readable book may be read as a companion to J.K. Hadden and C. Swann, Prime Time Preachers (CH, Oct '81), but it extends the subject uniquely and may be read independently. Excellent methodological appendix; moderate-sized but very useful bibliography. Appropriate for college, community college, university, and public libraries.-R.L. Herrick, Westmar College

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Razelle Frankl is Assistant Professor of Management and Coordinator of Human Resources Management at Glassboro State College, Glassboro, New Jersey.