Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Keywords
Mass media--Influence; Preaching;
Abstract
The Rhetoric of Secondary Orality in Christian Homiletics investigates the impact of the oral nature of the electronic media on contemporary American Christian preaching. The long and intimate relationship between classical rhetoric and Christian preaching is traced, viewing rhetoric as the product of a dialectical tension between orality and literacy. Literate professional clergy have tended to preach in a text-based, logocentric style, while for most of Christianity's history, the audiences for preaching have been primarily non-literate, phonocentric people. This often resulted in sermons that did not communicate effectively with the intended audience. Only in the 18th and 19th centuries have the dominant media of print created audiences that have been sufficiently literate to respond favorably to the logocentric style typical of Christian homiletics. Using Walter Ong's concept of secondary orality as a basis, it is suggested that, once again, logocentric preaching has become ineffective in reaching the intended homiletical audience. The dominant media of video have impacted audiences in ways that have fostered phonocentric perception of the sermon. Attempts have been made to adapt to these changes through drama, dialog, and narrative, but these efforts often were undertaken without understanding the underlying concepts of secondary orality. This research is intended, first, to document, for practical use by preachers, the nature of secondary orality as applied to the homily in a more systematic form, and second, to further the theoretical effort toward identifying characteristics of secondary orality. Both are accomplished through empirical observation of contemporary homiletical rhetoric. A number of preachers, representing various traditions and styles, were the subject of field observation, and examples of their sermons were videotaped. Additionally, these preachers were interviewed about their sermon preparation. A formal analysis of the videotaped examples of their sermons was conducted. Traits which exemplify the characteristics of secondary orality were identified, using Ong's discussion of the characteristics of orality and literacy as an analytical tool. The significant findings of the study include at least a partial validation, through empirical documentation, of many of the suggested characteristics of rhetoric in the age of secondary orality. Of practical interest was the discovery of the extent to which preachers become even more confined to writing and print as they strive to incorporate aural and visual technologies in their sermon presentations. Also noted were the primacy of visual images over narratives used in attempting to capture the attention of the homiletical audience, and the continued viability of the sermon as a unique rhetorical genre.
Year of Submission
1995
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Department of Communication Studies
First Advisor
Shing-Ling Sarina Chen
Second Advisor
Edward W. Amend
Third Advisor
Melissa L. Beall
Date Original
1995
Object Description
1 PDF file (133 leaves)
Copyright
©1995 Mark D. Johns
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Johns, Mark D., "The Rhetoric of Secondary Orality in Christian Homiletics: The Effects of the Electronic Media on Preaching" (1995). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 3083.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/3083
Comments
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