American Protestantism
April 15, 2002
Mainline Protestantism
The official or `normative' Protestant groups are often called the `MAINLINE'
churches. Generally, they consider themselves to be ``liberal, tolerant
and enlightened'': eg, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, United Methodists,
Episcopalians, Lutherans, etc. The style of preaching found here tends
to be much more reserved in style, with much less spontaneous congregational
response, more learned in content (since preachers normally must attend
a postcollege seminary), and so on.
Charismatic Protestantism
The charismatic (that is, `divinely inspired') preaching style
began in American Protestant churches in many denominations in New England
in the 1730s-1740s (eg, J. Edwards), but now is most common among southern
churches, including, especially, many that call themselves `Baptist' and
various other denominations that have broken away from the Baptists.
Evangelical Protestantism
Among the protestant American religions with a charismatic preaching
style are the `EVANGELICAL' religions. These are characterized by:
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Emphasis on a personal relationship with God in Christ,
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through the direct action of the Holy Spirit on the individual,
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eliciting a profound emotional experience of conversion, a New Birth
or an experience of `being born again' (often following a period of
`conviction' or deep emotional and moral unrest),
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leading to a life of religious devotion, moral discipline and often
missionary zeal.
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Typically, there is adult baptism by complete immersion in water
to mark the conversion.
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Opposition to centralized control and to institutionalized rank
and power is characteristic. Instead, rank and worth are determined by
purity and authenticity in one's religious life. Churches are frequently
independent of any organization.
This is accompanied by a tendency to reject the material, political,
`citified' world, which is seen as sinful and corrupt. The church should
withdraw from the world (although this has been changing recently as
the evangelicals get involved in politics - cf, eg, the `Moral Majority').
Stylistic Features of Evangelical Preachers
1. Brother John Sherfey, northern Virginia. Parttime preacher, highschool
education, oil delivery truck mechanic during the week. Prt-time pastor
of his own church. Stylistic features:
2. Rev. C. L. Franklin (Bethel Christian Church, Detroit)
(father of Aretha). One of the foremost Black preachers in the US. Died
in 1976. The sermon we heard a fragment of is called `The Eagle Stirs Her
Nest', spoken, `sung' and chanted with highly involved and agitated congregation.
3. Preacher Dan Phillips (evangelist on IU campus) is one
representative of this general style. Some content we heard:
`I don't HAFta [X] to MAKE me HAAAAPPY (repeated with different
content for [X] = `fornicate, drink beer, smoke cancer sticks,'
etc. Chanted repetition of lines with small text changes. A common feature.
`Suu-per-go-no-rheeea Num-ber 3!' A serious warning, but also self-parody.
`She is a slave to sin', `She was a little whore!' Trying to `convict'
the sinners. Make them squirm!
Stylist features:
Emotional and dramatic expression: but exaggerated for effect, not completely
genuine,
Very wide pitch range,
Special voice qualities for effect: growl, whisper, song, shout
Exaggerated hand motions, shaking of the wrist, rattling the knees, bending
sharply at the waist - partly for laughs too (He must also be an entertainer
in this context).
Bible in the hand at all times,
Spontaneous improvisation of the sermon. He reads the audience constantly
to see what might work best.
Pentacostal Protestantism
A subgroup of evangelical churches are called `PENTACOSTAL'. These
sects generally accept most features of the evangelical religions and certainly
employ the charismatic preaching style. But they also believe in the possibility
of a `Second Blessing' (after a first conversion experience like
that of the evangelicals). This event is also called the `Baptism of
the Holy Spirit' and its occurrence is objectively demonstrated by
one or more special `signs'. These include especially `speaking in tongues'
(sometimes considered to be the defining feature of pentacostalism), but
also handling serpents without harm, spiritual healing of the
sick, etc. The result of this second spiritual rebirth is personal
`sanctification', an abruptly acquired state of moral perfection.
One `joins the saints' and is then assured of eternal life in heaven.
This branch of evangelical protestantism began in the late 19th C in
the US and began rapid growth beginning about 1906.
Its has grown very rapidly to include several million participants
in the US -- especially in the past 30 years. It remains the fastest growing
`denomination' is the US (though there is little central organization,
primarily individual congregations). In addition, since the 1960s, due
to very active missionary work, it is by far the fastest growing religious
group throughout Latin America.
Robert Port
Language
and Religion, E103
Spring, 2002, Indiana University