Agnosticism / Atheism: What's Hot Now: Preacher: Billy Sunday

Agnosticism / Atheism: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Preacher: Billy Sunday Nov 14th 2011, 10:03 When televangelists came upon the American scene in the 1980s, they had an enormous impact upon not only American culture, but also upon the wider public perception of Christianity. This was not, however, the fist time religion appeared on television, but it was the beginning of evangelistic revivalism broadcast across the nation and around the world. Even so, neither their methods nor their acts were original - they can in large part be traced back to Billy Sunday. Summary Title: Preacher: Billy Sunday and Big-Time American Evangelism Author: Roger A. Bruns Publisher: University of Illinois Press ISBN: 0252070755 Pro: •  Informative account of Sunday's life and influence on American Christianity •  Helpful in understanding development of American fundamentalism •  Demonstrates continuity from early evangelism to modern televangelism Con: •  More information about Sunday's personal life would have been good Description: •  Biography of life and ideas of Billy Sunday •  Exploration of the early development of modern American evangelical Christianity •  Exploration of social and religious development of American fundamentalism Book Review It is not just televangelism, but modern evangelistic Christianity in general which owes a great deal to the style and ideas employed by Sunday to great effect. Even before the advent of radio and television, Sunday was able to reach millions and millions of people all across the country. His fundamentalist message struck a chord in a nation still struggling with changes produced by industrialization, modernization and globalization: "To millions across the land...the preacher was God's mouthpiece, ordained to drive the sin-stained multitudes out of their spiritual muck and grime, and into the fold of the Lord. At the time of dizzying change in society, a time of labor problems, crime, of monster cities choking in poverty, of masses of aliens peoples pouring into the country, a time of attacks against capitalism, against religion, against tradition, the man was there, a voice harkening back to simpler times, to true moral values, fundamentalist theology, to the American way." Born in rural Iowa in 1862, Billy Sunday felt that he understood the fears and concerns of his audience - they, in turn, saw someone who could speak directly to them rather than over them. He never ridiculed their lack of education or their way of life; instead, he accepted them for who they were and offered them hope and comfort. Moreover, he offered them explanations for all of their problems. Whether talking about atheism, evolution, alcohol, birth control or even just laziness, the source of people's problems was the same: Satan. Those engaged in activities like the promotion of leftist ideas or the sale of alcohol were, according to Sunday, agents of Satan. He quickly condemned them all to hell - in fact, he often said that if he were God, those people would already be in hell (he would not be the last fundamentalist to offer God advice like that). Sunday's perspective on the world was both fanatic and Manichean at its core: Preacher: Billy Sunday and Big-Time American Evangelism, by Roger A. Bruns Billy brought a strident militancy to the forces of American revivalism at a time when it was under siege. He saw no ambiguities in this struggle, saw no room for accommodation. A sharp instinct to retaliate at detractors, a boundless confidence that he could win all confrontations, an infectious enthusiasm for controversy - he brought it all to the tabernacles and engaged his huge crowds in the warfare. He roused his army. Fight the godless, strike back at those who threatened Christian values." This same fanaticism and Manichean division of the world into absolutes of good and evil were transmitted to his audiences, arousing their sense of indignation. Somewhere, somehow, someone was responsible for their problems and for the negative changes which they saw afflicting society. Whatever target Sunday chose to focus upon for any particular sermon, it was portrayed as the embodiment of and/or cause of all social ills. For example, when alcohol was the topic, Sunday portrayed it as the cause of all crime and sin. When World War I was raging, the Germans were described as the source of all evil on Earth. » Continue...

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