From Pilgrim Pulpit to the Electronic Era

A preacher standing in the pulpit on Sunday morning and delivering a Christian sermon based on a biblical text to his audience sitting in pews in a church building. A devoted Christian woman standing in front of a group of children or young people and presenting a Sunday School lesson. A religion professor delivering a lecture on faith in a college classroom. A youth minister presenting a devotional message to a group of teens at a church camp. Or a television evangelist delivering an emotional plea to the viewers.
These are some admittedly stereotyped images likely to come to people’s minds when they are asked what they think of when they hear the term “religious communication.” Perhaps different images should come to mind. There are other major religions besides Christianity, as well as numerous subcultures in the USA. In such an engaging style, From Pilgrim Pulpit to the Electronic Era discusses the role of religious messages in shaping both the rich American heritage and the diverse contemporary culture.

Professor Cotham has produced undoubtedly the most current and comprehensive survey of American religious communication in print today. He narrates a story that returns to the spiritual messages of Native Americans before Europeans came to this continent, then moves to sermons preached on pilgrim ships sailing to America, and then updates the story all the way to the latest works of art and movies, such as Son of God or Noah, that present religious messages. Cotham assimes an expansive definition of religion communication, which could include anything so typical as Joel Osteen or Rick Warren addressing a large congregation on a Sunday morning to a colorful picture in stained glass or even something seemingly trivial as a bumper sticker or religious tattoo.

Cotham takes note of speakers who addressed very small groups all the way to Pope Francis who addressed a live audience of several million in Rio de Janeiro. There are literally hundreds of names of speakers, preachers, reformers, revivalists, writers, artists, and movie producers who possessed a message and a gift to present it effectively. Cotham examines the role of religious rhetoric in creating new religious groups such as the Pentecostals, Disciples, and Mormons. And yet there were non-traditional and minority religious communicators: Native Americans, African-Americans, women, Jews, Muslims, and Spiritualists. None is neglected in this story.

For those who want to know more about speakers such as Jonathan Edwards or Billy Graham, and hundreds of other preachers and revivalists, this book provides both information and critical evaluation. The author also deals with the religious rhetoric of political leaders, especially American presidents. He asks how religious rhetoric may have driven great movements in our history, such as peace, antislavery, civil rights, and women’s rights. He notes the most important religious books and other writings, whether fiction or nonfiction, that have shaped American culture. There is even a special discussion on how the King James Version influenced American culture.

More importantly, Cotham is aware of the rapidly changing electronic technology and discusses its impact on the message of faith and the culture of modern religious experience. He asks readers to imagine what it would have been like if leaders such as Moses or Jesus could have employed the Internet and thus relied on his disciples following their leader on Twitter, keeping updated on a web page, or seeing pictures on Facebook. Not only is history written with words and illustrated with images—it is made with words and images. Cotham asks if movies today are the equivalent of parables in the first century.

Let us take it as a “given” the hundreds of names mentioned in this book as religious communicators were sincere in their messages. Let us assume they sought to advance the cause of truth and righteousness as they understood that cause. Sure, some of them were misguided and perhaps misinformed or uninformed. Nonetheless, we may believe that their rhetorical efforts aimed to inspire men and women to learn the truth, be better people and, subsequently, to make this land a better nation and society. Yes, there were some speakers and writers who used their gifts and skills as forces to fight and resist change and reform, who used eloquence in defense of the morally indefensible, or who simply used those skills in defense of the status quo. Those communicators who used sacred texts to defend “the peculiar institution” of slavery serve as a clear example of speakers on the wrong side of history. Yet there is no need to deny their influence or, in most cases, even question their sincerity. Some of the more influential ones are discussed.

And, thankfully, there were other communicators who grasped the power of an idea whose time had come, whose eloquence advanced the right side of history. Those who most influenced our history and culture in the right direction were men and women of action who were also men and women of words, speakers who used words as instruments of power to stir people to think and then to act for a cause greater than them.

There have been some mightily powerful and eloquent religious-moral addresses that have changed the course of American history. Eloquence is the power to impact and move an audience to act or feel in some important way. Eloquence is not simply a matter of supreme self-confidence in front of an audience, the formal education of the communicator, or the speaker’s flawless grammar and vocabulary. Eloquence is a dimension of persuasion wherein the right speaker, the right time, and occasion merge, and the speaker or writer presents a timely message with sincere passion, clarity, and forcefulness. The author provides many examples of eloquence.

From Pilgrim Pulpit to the Electronic Era is engaging and, at times, inspiring reading for students and general readers alike. It is well-researched and amply documented. An appendix discusses how standards of rhetorical criticism can be applied to religious addresses. With the wide range of topics, there is something for every class and every reader.