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Religion, Mass Media and Higher Education Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by

This is a draft cheat sheet. It is a work in progress and is not finished yet.

Religion- Overview

Post WW2 the drift away from organised religion in pre-war days was reversed
Church Membership soared
49% in 1940
 
69% in 1960
 
20% from 1940 to 1960
 
Grew most rapidly in 1950's
 
Declined by 6% in 1970's
Increased spending on church buildings
$26 million in 1945
 
over $400 million in 1950
 
over $1,000 million in 1960
Influence of Religion - Examples
'Ten comman­dments' broke box office records
 
Semi-r­eli­gious songs became hits (Go Tell it on the Mountain, US #33 pop, 1964)
 
'In God We Trust' was added to currency in 1957
 
1954, Time Magazine stated that the Christian Faith was 'back at the centre of things'
Influence of Religion - Reasons
Cold War tensions: Communism was a "a great sinister anti-c­hri­stian moveme­nt"
 
Christ­ianity was seen as a badge of patriotism
 
An increasing need to belong in a rapidly changing society
 
Churches used modern technology
Evange­lical
Refers to Protestant groups which stress the authority of the Bible, missionary work and a personal relati­onship with Christ.
 
Spread their message through preaching.
Televa­nge­lists
Evange­lical preachers who used mass meddia
 
1,2000 religous radio stations
 
36 religious tv stations
 
also used mass mailing and advert­ist­ements
 
preached against american materi­alism

Evange­lical Preachers: Billy Graham

Born N. Carolina, Educated at Bob Jones University
Ordained a Baptist minister in 1939
1949 held successful mission in LA
Set up Bill Graham Evange­listic Associ­ation
Began in a one room office with a secretary in 1959
1958 had 200 working out of a 4 storey building
Used advert­ising, publicity campaigns and a staff of specia­lists (prayer leaders, singers and counse­llors)
He developed religion as a form of mass entert­ainment
Preached to over 200 million in 185 countries
In NY, 1957 his 16 week crusade was attended by 2 million people
Time Magazine called him the 'Pope of Protestant America’
Differed from conser­vative fundam­ent­alists
"I dont think Jesus or the Apostles took sides in the political arenas of the day”
Used mass media
TV + Radio progra­mmes: Hour of decision, broadc­asted weekly, started in 1957
Newspaper column published in papers across the US
Wrote 25 books: Peace with God, The Jesus Generation and How to be Born Again
Was consulted by many presid­ents: Eisenh­ower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford
1950's: Extremly anti-c­omm­unist
1960's: supported peace with Russia and China
He and his wife were awarded the Congre­ssional Medal in 1996 for "­Out­sta­nding and lasting contri­butions to morality, racial equality, family, philan­thropy and religion”
Was never tainted by a sexual or a financal scandal

Evange­lical Preachers

Oral Roberts
owned a large ranch and private plane
 
had a tv and radio show
 
a university in his name
 
collected $50 million a year
Jimmy Baker
Damaged the evange­lical movement in the 80's
 
He and his wife (Tammy Faye Baker) hosted Praise the Lord Club
 
Both we're forced to resign due to Jimmy's sex scandal with his secretary
 
He later went to prison for stealing from his church to fund his life style
Jimmy Swaggart
Confessed on air to being with a prostitute in 1988

Protestant Church

Methodists were overtaken by Baptists
1960's: Church attendance fell from its peak but was still high
1970's: Over 60% of Americans were still active church members
This contrasts to the 10-15% in England and France

Catholic Church

US had the largest national grouping of Catholics
Members: Grew from 29 to 50 million
This was helped by immigr­ation from Latin America
Cardinals: grew from 4 to 11 million
General acceptance of changes brought by Vatican 11
Diffic­ulties in 1960's
'Humane Vitae' - resitance - Pope Paul VI's encyclical - banned artifical birth control
Between 1666-69: lost 14,000 nuns
Between 1666-69: 30% reduction in those studying for priesthood

Fundam­ent­alism

A conser­vative religious movement among Protes­tants in the US which emphasised the truth of the Bible
Rejected Darwin's theory of evolution
charac­ter­istics: patrit­oitic, extereme conser­vat­ivism, strong in southern states
Leaders were white, upper and middle class
Followers were often working class or lower class
Referred to as the religous right
1977: 70 million described themselves as "­bor­n-again Christ­ian­s"
'The Late Great Planet Earth' - Hal Lindsay - Bestseller in the 70's - theme was the return of jesus to save mankind
Furious with Supreme court rulings- in favour of abortion - teaching of evolution - lack of prayer in schools
This lead to their belief that they had to get active in politics to protect their religion and shape society according to their views

The Moral Majority

Supported strict Christian standards being applied to society
coaltion of Christian groups who wanted influence in politics
Sometimes called the silent majority
Organized by JERRY FALWELL from Virginia
His belief "The idea that religion and politics don't mix was invented by the Devil to keep Christians froth running their own countr­y"
His aim 'Bring about a conser­vative revolu­tion'
influe­ntial among Southern Baptists
Campaigned against: abortion, divorce, homose­xua­lity, government involv­ement in education and the equal rights amendment
Christian Coalition led by Pat Robertson were influe­ntial in the Republican Party
Favoured Reagan
showed signs of bigotry and anti-s­emitism

Jewish Community

After 1945: Jewish Community in the Us grew as a result of immigr­ation from Europe
Divided into Reform - Conser­vative and Orthodox
Worked within the fiance and aided the community with employment
Became powerful in finance, business and politics
Majority voted democratic
Henry Kissinger: Sec of State- Nixon and Ford admin
Madeline Albright: Sec of State - Clinton admin
Influe­ntial in policy on Israel and Middle East

Black Commun­ities

Religion was highly important in black commun­ities
Baptists and Methodists - rural South
Civil Rights was led by religious leaders- MLK - Ralf Abernathy

Islamic

developed among black commun­ities in northern cities
The Black Muslims (The Nation of Islam)
1,000 in 1946
 
100,000 in 1960
Rejected term negro
Malcom X was the leader
wanted separate black develo­pment
Muhammad Ali was a member
 

Mass Media

The means of commun­ication usually through newspaper, magazines, radio and TV.

Newspapers

The content and circul­ateion of newspapers was influe­neced by the coming of TV
No of citzens with more than one daily newspaper dropped
1960: over 80% of cities had only one newspaper
 
smaller % people bought newspapers
newspapers payed an important role in monitoring government policy
Pentagon Papers: Deception about Vietnam War - Reported on by NY Times
 
Woodward and Bernstein: Watergate - Nixon - Washington Post
No national newspaper till 1980
US Today

Movies

Popularity were in decline- due to
urban to suburban migration
 
Rise of TV
 
based in Hollywood
Counte­racted with
Wide Screens, 3D and stereo sound
 
new produc­tions aimed at popular taste
Popular taste
Westerns- the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
 
Cold War stories- I was a Communist for the FBI
 
Biblical- Ben Hur
 
Anti-War - Paths of Glory
 
Rebellious Youth: Rebel Without a Cause
This failed to reverse decline
Movies were shown on TV
Audience widened in 70's + 80's due to
Home Box Office- Pay TV - VHS tapes
 
Relaxed Hollywood code of conduct = more obscene, violent and secual films - Bonnie and Clyde
Young Directors
Francis Ford Coppola
Godfather series
George Lucas
Star Wars
Growing younger audience
attracted back to cinema in 70's + 80's
 
more indepe­ndent films
 
more suburban cineplexes

Television

1948
200,000 families had TV's
1952
15 million
1955
35 million
1960- colour
90% owned a TV
Satellite Transm­issions - 1960's
Telstar + Early Bird - Made national live broadcasts possible
Linked up with cable to provide specific interest channels
MTV + CNN
1970's - cable
70% of homes had cable
Fear of spline­rting of society and over saturation
"I can see by your eyes friend you're just about gone, fifty-­seven channels and nothin' on" Bruce Spring­steen