Book of Jerry Falwell, The
Book Description
In this illuminating exploration of American religious culture, anthropologist Susan Friend Harding ventures into the heart of Christian fundamentalism to uncover how language shapes spiritual identity and community transformation. Through careful examination of Jerry Falwell and other influential pastors from the 1980s, Harding reveals the sophisticated ways these religious leaders wielded biblical language as a powerful tool for both personal and collective change.
Rather than viewing fundamentalist Christianity as a retreat from worldly concerns, Harding demonstrates how these preachers masterfully rewrote their Bible-based traditions to embrace active engagement with contemporary society. She analyzes sermons, speeches, books, and broadcasts to show how religious leaders employed what she calls a "Bible-based poetics" of remarkable complexity and creative force.
The book illuminates how born-again Christians use scriptural language not merely as doctrine, but as the very medium through which they understand their identity and purpose. Harding's research reveals how preachers like Falwell transformed their congregations into what she describes as "living testaments of the Bible," reshaping their communities' relationship with the modern world.
This scholarly yet accessible work offers valuable insights into how religious language functions as a catalyst for both individual spiritual development and broader cultural movements, showing how believers reimagined themselves as active participants in shaping history rather than passive observers of worldly events.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~10 hours)
📄 Length: 352 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Histoire religieuse
- ✓ Explore Protestantisme
- ✓ Explore Bt82.2.h36 2000
- ✓ Explore 280/.4/097309048
- ✓ Explore Language and languages
- ✓ Explore Églises fondamentalistes
- ✓ Explore Fundamentalismus
- ✓ Explore 11.55 Protestantism
