Rhetorical agency is an ideologically contentious facet within communication and rhetorical research. While its importance in scholarship can be traced back to early works by Kenneth Burke and Pierre Bourdieu, debate continues regarding the source of agency, how it is enacted in rhetorical application and communication, and who/what can claim responsibility for the communication practices one may utilize in enacting their respective levels of agency. Thus, the ways in which the rhetoric of popular, influential individuals/antecedents affects the rhetorical agency and invention practices of those without significant levels of influence must be examined. American Christianity, in particular the culture created through heavy use of televised and web-media (televangelism), provides an excellent context to examine this subject. The present thesis discusses relevant literature to the topics of rhetorical agency, invention, and antecedents, as well as American Christianity, televangelism, and the changes that have occurred in religious rhetoric within the culture. Additionally, results indicate a high propensity towards rhetorical agency influenced through the themes of identity, adaptation, and audience sensitivity, and encourage pastors to focus on the identity and context through which their agency is manifested.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:25:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 5996.pdf: 1270184 bytes, checksum: 7ede932f24d3c70b29f0b8ba6a3a910e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-28 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / The purpose of this thesis is to verify, according to the theoretical assumptions of Discourse Analysis of French tradition, the Pentecostal discourse of televangelism Victory in Christ. This work will aim its constituent character and analyze the enunciative scenes that constitute the discourse, and from that, it will build relationships between its initial discursive formation and remoteness and proximity to other discursive formations. The research corpus consists of six views of the televangelism mentioned above. We consider the concepts of Dominique Maingueneau about constituent discourses; ethos and scene of enunciation; citation and Detachment; Hyperenunciator and Thesaurus Bible; community discursive and positioning . Adds up , in the background , the analysis and description of the arguments used by the enunciator according to the concepts of Pereleman and Tyteca , enrolled in Argumentation Theory, since the arguments are considered constituent elements of enunciative scenes, in other words , they integrate the scene is validated on account of its uses . Among the main events displayed on observation analyzed data are: a discourse of classical Pentecostalism approaching the Pentecostal discursive formation, the use of arguments in relation to what is known about an auditorium with little education and low social status and processing of speech for their accommodation to contemporary society. / O objetivo deste trabalho de mestrado é verificar, segundo os pressupostos teóricos da Análise do Discurso de tradição francesa, o discurso pentecostal do televangelho Vitória em Cristo visando o seu caráter constituinte e analisando as cenas enunciativas que o constitui e, a partir disso, estabelecer relações entre a sua formação discursiva inicial e o seu afastamento e aproximação com outras formações discursivas. O corpus da pesquisa é composto por seis exibições do televangelho em questão. Mobilizam-se os conceitos de Dominique Maingueneau sobre discursos constituintes; ethos e cena da enunciação; citação e destacabilidade; hiperenunciador e o Thesaurus bíblico; comunidade discursiva e posicionamento. Acrescentam-se, em segundo plano, a análise e a descrição dos argumentos usados pelo enunciador segundo os conceitos de Pereleman e Tyteca, inscritos na Teoria da Argumentação, dado que os argumentos são considerados elementos constitutivos da cena enunciativa, dito de outra forma, eles integram a cena que é validada por conta de seus usos. Dentre as principais ocorrências indicadas na observação dos dados analisados estão: um discurso do pentecostalismo clássico que se aproxima da formação discursiva neopentecostal, o uso de argumentos em relação ao que se conhece sobre um auditório com pouca escolaridade e de baixo nível social e a transformação do discurso pela sua acomodação à sociedade contemporânea.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / Purpose The objective of this study is to evaluate critically the radio-television activities (and their implication to American society) of the Christian Crusade, an ultra-conservative religious-pnlitical organization located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Concentration on this group has been undertaken because 1) the Christian Crusade identifies itself as the largest anti-communist organization in the country, 2) its founder-director, Rev. Billy James Hargis, is one of the best known and most respected leaders of ultra-conservatism, 3) the Crusade employs the media of radio and television extensively to attract revenue and popular support, and 4) the organization is one of the most enduring and prosperous groups of the "radical right" (operating since 1948 with an annual budget which has been estimated as high as $1,500,000) [TRUNCATED] / 2999-01-01

This study examines the process of technological change in the religious television environment. The study also focuses on managerial response to said change. Through the use of a survey instrument, a quantitative examination is given, illustrating a managerial embrace of change principles, a positive attitude toward the idea of change, and a system of change behavior that matches several previously theorized change models. Also examined is how different station funding types correspond with types and rates of technological change, with the results reflecting that more funding sources for a station generally indicate a greater likelihood of technological change.

No description available.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Comparative Religion, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 84-87).

This thesis is the study of televangelism contextualized within the country of Romania. It seeks to answer six main questions: I} When the Lord Jesus gave Christendom the global, Gospel mandate, he forced his disciples into a two thousand year struggle with, not only the message, but how to spread this message. Is the Gospel message so powerful that it will penetrate through any method of delivery? Can a former communist country be evangelized through television? 2) The next question asked in this thesis: is the message in and of itself, when conveyed through this media, sufficient to accomplish its goals? Does the media encourage the recipient to fulfill the desires of the message? What about Mass Communication Theory which espouses that television is more likely to reinforce then transform a viewer's belief? 3) The third question wrestled with: would the former communistic country of Romania, when turning to the ideals of the West, receive the Gospel message with greater or lesser significance through the media of television, or would other forms of communication be more desirable? Would television, in comparison to Crusade or Film Evangelism, be a more ideal media for the Gospel at this juncture in Romania's history? 4) Television allows large audiences to be reached with staggering efficiency, but does the medium itself impose limits on the kind of evangelism that can be done? What type of church grows out of an electronic medium? Would television gather a church "unto itself?" 5) In fulfilling the great commission, many organizations and mission groups have arisen with the desire to carry the Gospel message to the ends of the earth with whatever means available, including CBN, who uses television. Can television reach the masses, including the poor, in Eastern block countries? 6) The final question addressed in this research: what are the long term effects of televangelism in this former communistic country? Would a one time television program, given in one week, yield results that can be determined two years later? These questions were not only wrestled with, but conclusions were drawn to make evangelism and particularly televangelism more efficacious. / Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology / Th. D. (Practical Theology)

This thesis is the study of televangelism contextualized within the country of Romania. It seeks to answer six main questions: I} When the Lord Jesus gave Christendom the global, Gospel mandate, he forced his disciples into a two thousand year struggle with, not only the message, but how to spread this message. Is the Gospel message so powerful that it will penetrate through any method of delivery? Can a former communist country be evangelized through television? 2) The next question asked in this thesis: is the message in and of itself, when conveyed through this media, sufficient to accomplish its goals? Does the media encourage the recipient to fulfill the desires of the message? What about Mass Communication Theory which espouses that television is more likely to reinforce then transform a viewer's belief? 3) The third question wrestled with: would the former communistic country of Romania, when turning to the ideals of the West, receive the Gospel message with greater or lesser significance through the media of television, or would other forms of communication be more desirable? Would television, in comparison to Crusade or Film Evangelism, be a more ideal media for the Gospel at this juncture in Romania's history? 4) Television allows large audiences to be reached with staggering efficiency, but does the medium itself impose limits on the kind of evangelism that can be done? What type of church grows out of an electronic medium? Would television gather a church "unto itself?" 5) In fulfilling the great commission, many organizations and mission groups have arisen with the desire to carry the Gospel message to the ends of the earth with whatever means available, including CBN, who uses television. Can television reach the masses, including the poor, in Eastern block countries? 6) The final question addressed in this research: what are the long term effects of televangelism in this former communistic country? Would a one time television program, given in one week, yield results that can be determined two years later? These questions were not only wrestled with, but conclusions were drawn to make evangelism and particularly televangelism more efficacious. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / Th. D. (Practical Theology)