...Chapter Three emphasizes Joseph Smith's exposure to Methodist sermon culture, within the context of exploring the preaching styles and oral performances of evangelical preachers in the Burned-Over District of Western New York. A close analysis of Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian preaching...

...During the early years of the twentieth century, Puerto Rico was home to numerous man-gods and woman-virgins. Two of them were Elenita, a woman regarded as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel incarnate, and a brotherhood of itinerant preachers known as the Hermanos Cheos. Elenita, the woman-virgin...

...This chapter focuses on Rev. J. M. Gates of Atlanta, one of the most famous of the scores of black southern preachers who recorded chanted sermons during their heyday of popularity, from the early 1920s until World War II. He, along with Rev. F. W. McGee and Rev. A. W. Nix, cut hundreds of seventy...

...This chapter focuses on the theory of Godly Rule, which was practiced by some preachers in many colonies, including in New England. Godly Rule involved practicing Christianity in its purest, original form without any fear, restrictions, or limitations. It emphasized unrestricted freedom of speech...

...Part 2 reconstructs the theological and rhetorical strategies through which the popular Anglican evangelist George Whitefield and other itinerant preachers labored to persuade their audiences to repudiate the ideal of the godly walk. In its place, many New Englanders championed Whitefield’s...