A RHETORICAL AJALY IS 0? THE SPEAKING OF H. M. S. RICHARDS IN CONNECTION WITH THE ”VOICE OF PROPHECY" RADIO BROADCAST F THE SEVETTH-DAY’ADVENTIST CHURCH BY Wilber Alexander Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY College of Communication Arts-—Department of Speech 1962 ABSTRACT The primary purpose of this study is to describe, analyze, and evaluate the radio preaching of Dr. H. M. S. Richards in connection with the Voice of Prephecy broadcast of the Seventh-day Adventist church. The study attempts (l) to determine the biographical and personal factors which account for Dr. Richards' success as a speaker, (2) to sketch the organization and format of the Voice of Prophecy broadcast as the in- stitution with which Dr. Richards is associated in his radio preaching, (3) to describe and evaluate the body of rhetorical theory which Richards advocates for effective preaching, (4) to estimate the effect of Richards' radio preaching on his radio audience, and (S) to analyze and appraise the radio preaching of Dr. Richards by the norms established in his rhetorical theory. In terms of invention, Dr. Richards' method of logical argument is basically inferential. Argument by Scriptural authority predominates Richards' reasoning, in which he uses all of the traditionally labeled forms, argument from example, analogy, cause to effect, effect to cause, and sign. Argument by example appears most frequently. There is no impressive evidence in Richards' sermons of any extensive use of ethical proof either directly stated or deliberately implied. There are enough statements in the context of ethical persuasion to indicate his awareness of a need to picture himself to his audience in as favorable a light as possible. Richards' use of motive appeals, while pronounced, is incidental in comparison to the pattern of argument he sets forth. The dominant appeals are to values, loyalty, and self-preservation. These appeals are found in all parts of the sermon structure but mainly in the conclusions. In terms of arrangement, Dr. Richards employs the historical, distributive, and logical methods of development of his sermon dis- cussions. The order of arguments appears to vary according to the out- line approach, but generally the strongest argument is stated first and is followed by subordinate arguments in the order of importance intended by Richards. Dr. Richards' style is precise and plain. The language of the sermons is simple, most of the words being short; and whenever long words are used, they are common and intelligible. In Richards' sermons there is a definite subordination of figurative elements. In terms of delivery the effectiveness of Dr. Richards in his radio ministry is considered due in large part to the vibrancy, intimacy, and warmth of personality which he is able to convey through his radio voice. Speaking from a complete manuscript and with a minimum of bodily action, he communicates in a straight-forward, conversational manner what is in him of confidence, urgency, and empathy as they concern his sermon and his audience. Audience response to Dr. Richards' radio preaching suggests that (1) he is perceived as being intelligent, sincere, friendly, loving, and an example of the Christian ethic worth emulating, (2) his preaching rates superior to that of most of the other radio and pulpit preachers in the United States, (3) his radio preaching is not significantly dif- ferent from his correlate public preaching, and (a) individual responses of a moral and spiritual nature are largely made by members of the au- dience as the result of cumulative listening to Dr. Richards' sermons. Dr. Richards' contributions to the field of preaching in both While theorj'snd practice mark him as outstanding in his radio pulpit. critics in the future may re-evaluate his preaching by more sharply de- finexi standards of criticism, it should remain, nevertheless, as an example of pulpit excellence. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In all honesty it must be confessed that no dissertation is a product of its writer alone. These pages are humbly and gratefully dedicated to the following peOple who have helped in their own inimitable and unselfish ways: Tb Doctor Kenneth G. Hence, major professor and committee chair- man, who has given himself away to all of his students, including me. To Doctor David Ralph, co-chairman of my committee, who encouraged me during those gray periods of graduate study. To those dedicated professors at Michigan State University in whose classrooms it has been my privilege to sit: Doctor Madison Kuhn, Intellectual History Doctor Gordon Thomas, Public Address Doctor Donald Ecroyd, History of Rhetoric Doctor Fred Alexander, Speech Education Doctor David Ralph, Speech Criticism Doctor Kenneth Rance, Rhetoric and Public Address Doctor David Potter, Public Address Doctor David Berlo, Communication Theory Doctor Malcolm MacLean, Jr.. Communication Theory To professor Mabel Curtis Romant, my undergraduate teacher in 8Peech at La Sierra College. Tb Doctor Charles Weniger and Doctor Winton Beaven, who guided me thtbugh a Master's program in speech at Andrews University. To those members of the Voice of Prophecy staff who opened doors and file cabinets to each bit of information needed in setting forth the wOrk of Doctor H. M. S. Richards, their beloved "Chief." To Marjorie Pritchard and Kathie Tilstra, who served as secretaries throughout the project without complaint. Tb Doctor William Landeen, president of La Sierra College, and .mnxor‘Walter Specht, Division Chairman of Religion at La Sierra College, for giving me time to study and write. Tb Doctor H. M. S. Richards for his wholehearted cooperation and personal interest all along the way. To my beloved wife, Mary Alexander, who has been long-suffering and gentle through many lonely hours. ACKNWLEDQIENTS . . . . lhBLEI‘DF CONTENTS . . . LIST OF LET? (H? TAB LE I O O O O ILLUSTRATIONS . INTRODUCTION. . . . . . Chapter I. II. III. IV. TAB LE OF CONTENTS HAROLD MARSHALL SYLVESTER RICHARDS: THE "VOICE" OF PROPHECY O O O C O C O O O 0 Family Background and Early Years: 189h-1910 High School and College Years: 1910-1919 Pastoral and Evangelistic Ministry: l919-19h2 Radio and Correlate Ministry: 19u2-1961 H. M. S. Richards: The Man at the MicrOphone THE "VOICE OF PROPHECY" RADIO BROADCAST. . . . Background and History of the Broadcast Objectives and Organization of the Broadcast Format and Features of the Broadcast Inferences THE RHETORICAL THEORY OF H. M. S. RICHARDS. . . Sources for Study of Richards' Rhetorical Theory Constituents of Richards' Rhetorical Theory Reflected Parallelisms in Richards' Theory RICHARDS' RHETORICAL.PRACTICE IN RELIGIOUS BROADCASTING. . . . Richards' General Preparation for Religious Broadcasting Richards‘ Preparation of Radio Sermons An Analysis of.the Rhetorical Elements in Richards' Radio Preaching Summary Page ii iii vi Frontie- piece vii 58 86 126 . A“I .‘1 iv Chapter Page V. A RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF H. M. S. RICHARDS' SERMON "WHAT JESUS SAID ABOUT HIMSELF". . . . . . . 261 External Factors Relative to the Sermon The Speaker's Purpose and Proposition Matters of Invention Sermon Structure and Arrangement ' Adaptation of the Sermon to the Radio Audience Delivery of the Sermon Summary VI. AUDIENCE RESPONSE TO RICHARDS' PREACHING . . . . . . 286 Classification and Description of the Mail Response Analysis of Response to the Broadcast as Determined by Special Questionnaire A Comparison Between Responses to Richards' Radio Preaching and His Correlate Pulpit Preaching " Summary VII. AN EVALUATION OF RICHARIB' RHETORICAL THEORY AND PMflICE. O O O C O O O I O C 0 O O 320 The Critical Process Criteria for Appraising Rhetorical Theory An Evaluation of Richards' Rhetorical Theory Summary Evaluation Of Richards' Theory ' An Evaluation of Richards' Rhetorical Practice VIII.CONCLIBIONS..................... 3R2 APPENDICES I. A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH. . . . . . . . 3147 II. VOICE OF PROPHECY PROGRAM NETWORK COVERAGE NATIONAL‘BROADCASTING COMPANY, MUTUAL BROADCASTING SYSTEM, AMERICAN BROADCASTING COMPANY,ANDSPOT................ 350 III. AN EXAMPLE OF THE SCRIPT FORMAT FOLLOWED IN THE VOICE OF PROPHECY RADIO BROADCAST . . . . . . . . 357 Iv. TOPICAL LISTINCOE FILES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361 V.SERMONTITLE...................-367 VI. SUBSTANCE GITLINE OF H. M. S. RICHARIB' SERMON "What Jesus Said About Himself" . . . . . . . . . 371 .4""' Erin". ill. a" 1 an. I..- VA}— J: I I «but» g-._.. .- . __,_..- -fl- APPENDIC$ VII. A TRANSCRIBED COPY OF H. M. S. RICHARIB' SERMON "What Jesus Said About Himself" Page 0 O O O O O 378 VIII. A VOICE OF PROPHECY ANALYSIS RESPONSE QUESTION- NAIRE AND THE STATISTICS DERIVED THEREFROM . . . . 382 III. AUDITORIUM AUDIENCE RESPONSE QUESTIONNAIRE . . . . . 391 x. STATEMENTS or TYPICAL AUDIENCE RESPONSE TO THE RADIO PREACHINC OF H. M. S. RICHARDS, 191;: TO 1961. EXCERPTED FROM VOICE OF PROPHECY MAIL AND SPmIAL QUESTIONNAIRE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393 BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . 1410 a -r’ "' ' Thble 1. LIST OF TABLES ‘Vblume of Mail Response to the VOice of Prophecy Radio Broadcast from United States Listeners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ‘Vbice of Prophecy Correspondence School . Graduates O O O I O O I O I O O O C O O O O CDntributions Received by the Voice of Prophecy Broadcast from Listeners in the United States . . . . . I . . . . . . . . . Reported Baptisms in the United States Attri- buted to the VOice of PrOphecy Broadcast from 19u2-19610 e e e e e e e a o e e e e 0 vi Page 289 292 294 296 INTRODUCTION Purpose of the Study The primary purpose Of this study is to describe, analyze, and evaluate the radio preaching of Dr. H. M. S. Richards in connection with the Vfloice of PropheCy broadcast. Within the frame of reference of estab- lished patterns of rhetorical criticism the study attempts (I) to de- termine the biographical and personal factors which account for Dr; iRichards' success as a speaker, (2) to sketch the organization and fOl‘lflat Of the Voice of Prophecy broadcast of the Seventh-day Adventist c‘l‘urchas the institution with which Dr. Richards is associated in his radio preaching, (3) to describe and evaluate the body of rhetorical theory which'Dr. Richards advocates for effective preaching, (h) to estimate the effect of Dr. Richards' radio preaching on his radio audi- elice, and (S) to appraise the radio preaching of Dr. Richards by the nOrms established in his rhetorical theory. Limitations Imposed on the Study Unlike certain other religious broadcasts having one message ‘mich is beamed from all stations at a given time, the VOice of Prophecy Inoadcast is especially propared for specific audiences around the world. htorder to prevent this study from becoming excessive in scope and treat— ment, only those broadcasts beamed to audiences in the United States are considered. viii A limitation on the period of time to be covered in this study is also imposed. Although Dr. Richards has been broadcasting since 1929, this study covers only the broadcast years 19h2-1961. The year 19u2 marks the beginning of the coast to coast broadcast of the Voice of PrOphecy program. No attempt is made in this study to analyze or describe in any detail the correlate preaching of Mr. Richards apart from his radio minis try . Significance of the Study Intrinsic Merit of the Study.--Religious broadcasting has been a part of the American scene almost as long as broadcasting itself. Today vir~ tually every radio station in the country devotes portions of its broad- “3‘1 time to religious programming. H. M. S. Richards, director of the Voice of Prophecy program sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, is one of the pioneers 9‘ radio broadcasting. He has been preaching over the radio for thirty years and is now heard on the Mutual Broadcasting System, the American Bl‘Oadcasting Company, the National Broadcasting Company, and international b1‘Oadcast systems. Beginning in 1929 over one station in Los Angeles, California, the Voice of Prophecy broadcast is now heard-over 895 stations each Sun- day. 537 of them in North America. In addition to these standard outlets the program is also beamed by a number of short wave stations. The phenomenal growth of the Voice of Prophecy radio broadcast is further evidenced by (l) the steady increase in mail response from a few letters received before 191:2 to an average of 10.000 letters each week Afllw- ' ' A-T fl—M a'r ix at present, (2) the large contribution of money received as freewill offerings from Voice of Prophecy listeners in SUpport of the broadcast, and (3) the official record of reported baptisms and additions to the Seventh-day Adventist church which are attributed by listeners to the preaching of Dr. Richards. Incidental to his radio preaching. Dr. Richards is a much sought after pulpit speaker and carries on an extensive correlate ministry to his broadcasting. Also, among the rank and file of Seventh-day Adventist laity, as well as among the contemporary clergymen of his church, Richards is considered "the dean of Adventist preachers” and an eminent authority in the field of preachingo In view of the foregoing report of the impact of Dr. Richards' Preaching on a significant segment of the population of the United States, it is believed that his work as a speaker on religious themes provides 9 Valid field of investigation for the student of public address. Mnctiveness of the Study.--So far as can be determined only two MIister's theses have been done on Dr. Richards. In 19h5 at the University of Southern California, Walter Crandall did a Master's thesis attempting an experimental and descriptive study 9f the comparative effectiveness of the Adventist's "Voice Of Prophecy" broadcast, and the Lutheran's "Lutheran Hour" broadcast. The scope of the Crandall thesis was ”to establish experimentally the comparative effectiveness of two radio religious broadcasts employing grossly dif- tt’tl'ent radio techniques; and to account for discovered differences in effectiveness by description and analysis of content and delivery of the two broadcasts ." With the exception of brief treatment of sermon delivery, emphasis in the Crandall study is on comparing format and program techniques rather '- _ _q - —..— than on the rhetorical elements found in an analysis of speaker, speech, audience, and occasion. In 1958 at Purdue University, Jonathan Penner did a Master's thesis in which he made a rhetorical analysis of six selected sermons of Mr. Richards, attempting to determine the nature of the logical proofs, motive appeals, and ethical appeals; in addition, the organization and arrangement of sermon material and the style of speech composition found in the sermons were studied. The Penner study, while considering many of the rhetorical elements of the critical process, applies them exclusively to the six selected sermons. It is further observed that biographical and other background material relative to the broadcast are sketchy and incomplete in this study, and that no measurement of response is attempted. This study attempts a more definitive treatment of elements and areas considered in the two Master's theses. and includes additional mat- erial as outlined in this Introduction under Plan Of Organization. Materials or Sources for the Study Biographical Materials.--The Biographical materials pertaining to Richards are taken from (1) Personal interviews with Dr. Richards; (2) Personal interviews with members of his family and members of his Voice of PrO- Phecy staff; (3) Correspondence with Officials in the Seventh-day Advent- i~8t church; (It) Official literature of the Seventh-day Adventist church Viz” The Signs of the Times, The Youth's Instructor, the Advent Review 31d Sabbath Herald, The Broadcaster's Exchangg, and Roy F. Cottrell's Egrward in Faith, anhistoric account of the early years of Voice of PrOphecy radio broadcast: (S) Registrar's records, school papers, and tariff? “\ l)" .1 9A3 ugazzn‘ 7525?.“ I vii: truce is‘ I- ‘u if! . . ‘u. _. “--—- w~A-— _ xi yearbooks in educational institutions attended by Dr. Richards, (6) Official records of the Seventh-day Adventist church, (7) POpular magazines; People, an Australian contemporary of America's Look or Life magazines; and 312E magazine. Historical Mbterials.--Materials dealing with the sociO-cultural milieu in‘which Dr. Richards was reared and in which he works as a radio preacher are as follows: (1) Frederick Lewis Allen, Only Yesterday, (2) Frederick Lewis Allen, The Big Change, (3) Henry Steele Commager, The American Mind, (h) Ralph Henry Gabriel, The Course of American Demo- cratic Thought. (5) Richard Hofstadter, The United States, The History of a Republic. (6) Arthur S. Link, American Epoch4_A Histogy of the United States Since the 1890's, (7) William E. Leuchtenburg, The Perils of Prosperity. (8) Jeannette P. Nichols, Twentieth Century and the United Sggggg, (9) Arthur Schlesinger, Histogy of American Life, (10) Willard In Sperry, Rgligion in America, (11) Harvey Wish, Contemporary America, The National Scene Since 1900. VOice of Prophecy Radio Broadcast Materials.--In the section of the study munch describes the Vbice of PrOphecy radio broadcast the materials are drawn from (1) personal interviews with Mr. Richards and his VOice of Prophecy staff, (2) The VOice of Prophecy News, official newsletter of the broadcast. (3) The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald and Signs of the .Eflggg. (h) Edgar E.‘Willis, Foundations in Broadcasting, Charles F. Iindsley, Radio and Television Communication, definitive works in radio ‘broadcaSting. and (5) fact sheets, financial reports, broadcast and official records, and articles of incorporation found in the VOice of ITOphecy headquarters files. (6) the official minutes of the General Conference Committee on the institution of the VOice of PrOphecy broadcast. xii Eerials on Richards' Rhetorical Theory.--The chief Sources for mater- ials on the rhetorical theory of Dr. Richards are his works, Feed My m, a series of lectures given by Dr. Richards on preaching; Radio m, a small handbook prepared by Dr. Richards for religious broad- casting; and tapedpersonal interviews with Dr. Richards. Secondary sources used for defining the areas Of rhetorical theory covered by Dr. Richards are Lester Thonssen and A. Craig Baird's Speech Criticism and John Broadus' Preparation and Delivery Of Sermons as re- vised by Jesse B. Weatherspoon. Materials on Richards' Rhetorical Practice.--In the segment of the study which deals with Dr. Richards' rhetorical practice the basic sources and materials are (1) Dr. Richards' personal library and files, (2) the printed sermons and electronic transcriptions of the Voice of Prophecy broadcasts from 19“ to 1961, (3) the Church Manual of the Seventh-day Adventist church, for a statement of the issues on which Dr. Richards Speaks, (h) interviews with members of Dr. Richards' staff concerning his delivery, (5) such rhetorical works as A. Craig Baird, Argumentation, Discussion, and Debate, Winston Brembeck and William Howell, Persuasion, John A. Broadus, On the Prgparation and DeliverLof Sermons, Lane Cooper, Inc Rhetoric of Aristotle, Elise Hahn et. a1.. Basic Voice Training for Speech, James H. McBurney. James M. O'Neill, and Glen E. Mills, Argu- gigntation and Debate, Alan H. Monroe, Principles and Types of Speech, Robert T. Oliver and Rupert L. Cortright, Effective Sp_eech, .Lester Thonssen and A. Craig Baird, Speech Criticism, for definitions and dir- ection in analysis, and (6) personal observation of Dr. Richards during several Voice of Prophecy broadcasts. {- Bgsponse Materials.--To ascertain the extent and nature of the response made to Dr. Richards' preaching, the following materials were gathered: .3} stat 1;“ ext! the ‘ Em ! [he in". 5m 0! hated ;m sect: [Ii 9'. .- ~ F”...— xiii (1) statistics on regular mail response to Voice of Prophecy headquarters, (2) excerpts of various types of Voice of Prophecy mail response recorded in the Voice of Prophecy News and Voice of Prophecy files, (3) material from a special questionnaire mailed to Vbice of PrOphecy listeners in the United States, (h) material from a special questionnaire handed mem- bers of an audience attending an evangelistic service personally con- ducted by Dr. Richards. BValuation Materials.--The evaluation of Dr. Richards made in the last part of the study is based upon the normative standards outlined in the section of the study on Mr. Richards' rhetorical theory. The Organization of the Study Chapter I is biographical in nature. It reveals the background training, experiences, beliefs, philosophy, knowledge, and other per- sonality factors or principal events which have shaped Dr. Richards' life and his preaching. Chapter 11 describes the Voice of Prophecy radio broadcast of the Seventh-day Adventist church as the institution with which Richards associates himself in his radio ministry. Chapter III concerns itself with outlining the rhetorical theory advanced by Dr. Richards as requisite to effective preaching. Chapter IV is a survey analysis of 300 radio sermons of Richards taken from the broadcast years 1942-1961. In this chapter the consti- tuent elements inherent in rhetorical criticism are investigated as follows: (1) the speaker's method of preparation, (2) the classification of Dr. Richards' sermon subjects, and (3) the invention, arrangement, style, and delivery factors found in the sermons. »_-.___-- __ _-_.._- Chapter V is a case study of one of Dr. Richards' sermons in ‘nuch the methods of rhetorical criticism are applied in detail to the selected sermon. Chapter VI surveys the response made to Dr. Richards' radio preaching as found in regular Voice of PrOphecy mail response and from special questionnaires. Chapter VII attempts (I) to describe the critical process in rhetorical criticism, (2) to establish norms for evaluating a body of Dr. Richards' theory to be used in appraising preaching, (3) to evaluate Dr. Richards' rhetorical theory on the basis of these norms, and (a) to evaluate Dr. Richards' rhetorical practice on the basis of his stated theory. Chapter VIII draws some general conclusions based on the study. ~"' -————._-. ‘- .——-—-p h.._- CHAPTER I HAROLD MARSHALL.SYEVESTER RICHARDS: THE ”VOICE" OF PROPHECY Family Background and Early Years: 1894-1910 Paternal Backgggggg.--In Redruth, Cornwall, at the extreme western point of Southwestern England, the family name Richards is found in‘a thirteenth century church book. Richards is a Welsh name, and it is believed that the stock is Celtic from.the ancient British strain which was found in Cornwall, then West Wales, before the Anglo-Saxon invasion around #90 A.D.1 The radio evangelist H. M. S. Richards has a preaching ancestry. One of his early progenitors was a lay preacher and traveling companion of John Wesley.2 His grandfather, William Jenkins Richards, was con- verted in evangelistic meetings conducted by General William Booth and became a lay preacher in Redruth, Cornwall. He served also as a Methodist Episcopal circuit preacher in America. His father, Halbert M. J. Richards traveled extensively in gospel evangelism throughout Iowa, Colorado, New thico, Texas, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, California, and other states cu lInterview between E. M. S. Richards and Fritz Guy, November 18, l9Sh. Cited hereafter as Guy Interview. 21bid. 18. 3Interview with a. M. s. Richards, January 1a, 1960, 1. Cited lureafter as Richards' Interview, January 14, 1960. “Roy F. Cottrell, Forward in Faith, (Mountain View: Pacific Press, 19“S). p. 250 v . o-—— ——-vo v *v..- v— u- "v-' v— r- " "-‘ 2 Maternal background.--On the maternal side of Richards' ancestry, 19 a heritage that is distinctly American. His great-great-grandfather, Joseph Sylvester, served under Washington in the Revolutionary War from the siege of Boston to the surrender of Yorktown.5 His grandfather, Jasper Newton Sylvester, was born in Mesa County, Ohio, and was a frontiersman and gold-rush adventurer.6 Richards' mother, Berta C. Sylvester, taught in the public schools of Iowa for seven years. She served also as church organist in various churches. In this capacity she became acquainted with Balbert M. J. Richards.7 Birth and Pre-schoolgyears.--In the late summer of l89u H. M. J. Richards left his gospel tent in the midwest and flagged a freight train bound for Davis City. Iowa. An understanding brakeman and engineer re- laxed railroad regulations to permit the excited young preacher to rush home to see his first born and his wife. When he arrived home, he was shown a son named Harold Marshall Sylvester Richards. As the young couple admired their offspring, the father said, "We'll have prayer and I'll put my hands on his head and he shall be the lord's baby boy."8 The "LDrd's baby boy" nearly died at the age of two. While his mother was busy at the wash board, young Richards crawled out of doors and devoured a number of green apples. Deathly sick, he was rushed to the family doctor, who gave little hope for tie boy's recovery. Mother Richards prayed for the boy to be healed, promising to dedicate him to SCottrell, 2S. 6Richards' Interview, January 1a, 1960, 13. 71bid., 1a. 8Interviewwith Mrs. B. M. J. Richards, January 12, 1960, u. Cited hereafter as Mrs. H. M. J. Richards' Interview, January 12, 1960. h.-.*- 3 the service of God if he lived. The prayer was answered, and from that time Richards was taught that he belonged to the Lord. This influenced his decision later when he wanted to be a lawyer but knew he "belonged to the Lord," and accepted his "dedication" as a settled fact.9 As soon as he began to talk, Richards began to imitate his father's preaching. On one occasion he was spanked three times during one meeting to make him realize that "the preaching was going on up in the front and not where I was."10 Richards remembers preaching his first sermon at the age of four. He had been taken to Saint Joseph, Missouri, to attend the funeral of his great-grandmother Sylvester. In the living room of the family home he noticed a large bowl of oranges. When he was not invited to help himself, he began to talk most earnestly about the New Jerusalem, how wonderful it was, the great tree there that had all that fruit on it, and how it had "oringins" and "oringins" on it all the time. The sermon was highly successful, as measured by results, for-the boy preacher was given all the oranges.11 The "preaching" continued all through the pre-school years. Often the preacher-to-be would fix chairs in a circle, persuade his younger brother, Kenneth, to'bring a toy and occupy a front pew while the preach- 12 ing was going on. One sermon repeated many times was the account of Christ raising Lazarus from the tomb. Unable to articulate the "z" and ‘__~ 9_Interview with 1!. M. S. Richards, January 21, 1960, 1h, 15. Cited hereafter as Richards' Interview, January 21, 1960. 1°1b1d., 1n. llIbid. 12Mrs. H. M. J. Richards' Interview, January 12, 1960, 8. a n5». Richards would relate how "Jesus came and found iavruth deep in a hole with a big rock over him and so He shouted with a loud voice, 'umth come forth,‘ and Lavruth, he comed!”13 Grade school years.--Mr. Richards did not begin his formal schooling until he was eight years of age. His mother deliberately kept him out, mainly because she knew that as soon as he could read well, he ”would have his head continually in a book." lie had already learned to read some, having '- been taught his letters and a few words by his grandfather, Newton Sylvester. Richards is described by his mother at this age as being a serious child with tender conscience, a child who could be easily moved to tears. He even had moments of grief over the death of plants and trees.“ When school days began, the Richards family and maternal grand- parents, the Sylvesters, had moved to Loveland, Colorado. Here young Richards entered a public elementary school. As soon as he had learned to read, he began to read Washington Irving's book, The Fall of Granada.15 Reading this book created a love for reading, especially history, which has continued to the present writing. One day he discovered a number of boxes of religious books in a wheat bin where they had been stored by his father until the family could be permanently settled. In the wheat bin library the young scholar read widely in books of theology and history. Anong the books were a number written against his father's church, the Seventh-day Adventist. These books were well marked by his father with a“ch phrases as "Beware, this is false;" ."this man is an atheist;” "this ¥ 13Broadcaster's Exchange, February , 19h8, 1. 1“Mrs. 11. M.- J. Richard's Interview, January 12, 1960, S, 13. l 5 ‘ Cottrell, 28. h-.. ,_ _ v- ”0- I‘M'mm o v "‘M . “--.~—' mwmn an. -m*"- 5 man is an apostate from the cause." Swallowing the opponent's arguments with a big dose of BEWARE helped keep Richards firm in the faith of his 16 father. As interest in reading rapidly grew, Harold began to collect books and started a file. lie remodeled a large box to use for a book-case and filing cabinet. Here he kept books and clippings on any and all subjects which he thought might be useful in his "preaching,"17 During these school years Mr. Richards experienced something in religious intolerance which made a significant change in his personality. Growing up at a time when Seventh-day Adventists were thought of as a group of religious fanatics, he often heard people yelling abuse at his father and mother as they worked and preached in their tent and church. At school the older students made fun of him. Once he was placed on a high fence and told, "Now, Advent, you preach us a sermon." In his fear and anger the gangl ing boy warned, ”Christ is coming soon and you'll be sorry." This sermonette got him off the fence.18 Another time when he was cornered and then pummeled by books on the end of a strap, he retaliated by giving his tormentor a sound licking. After this there was no more persecution. Reflecting on this experience. Richards says: My parents had taught me never to fight. But it wasn't really good advice. They should have told me to avoid it as much as I could but to stand for my rights when it came to a showdown. From the fight on, I felt different. I was no longer afraid of anybody. It was a new revelation to me. And if it was nothing else but that, it was a good thing for me. I was so timid and spa awkward and all that-~it helped me. I began to feel like a man. ’ 16Richard's Interview, January 21, 1960, 13. 17Cottrell, 28. 1 18Mrs. H. M. J. Richards' Interview, January 12, 1960, s, 6. 19Richard's Interview, January 21, 1960, 22. - .-‘.—-—-""' 6 Young Richards was a normal boy with usual boyish mischievousness. A perpetual tease, he kept his younger brother in tears much of the time. In desperation lbther Richards warned Harold that if he did not stop teas- mg, she would make him whip her as punishment for bringing up such an "imp,” counting on his tenderness to act as a restraining influence. For 3 short time the threat worked, but soon the mischievous lad was back at his teasing. He was summarily summoned to the kitchen and told to go to to the creek and cut a switch. After a long delay, the boy came back bringing a small twig. lie was sent back until he had cut a suitable switch, whereupon his mother turned her back to him and ordered the whipping to begin. Rorrified, the penitent broke into a sob; and Mother Richards knew 20 that victory was hers as well as his. Childhood accident.--A near tragedy at the age of ten damaged Richards' eyesight and made all of his future study and work difficult. Father Richards had warned his two boys never to play with the gunpowder which was used for blasting stumps and clearing land. One day the boys found the barrel of an old shotgun which had been buried in the mud near the farm lake. It was like a cannon, a heavy butt-end with s touch-hole in the top. The temptation to fire off a "cannon" was irresistible. A neighbor boy provided some of his father's blasting powder, which came in his grains about the size of small peas. The barrel was carefully loaded “1th powder, wads of paper, nails, and rocks. A few grains of powder were p‘llverised for the touch-hole, the fuse was inserted, and the cannon was aimed at some pigeons on top of a nearby barn. Just as the boys were about to light the fuse, they heard Father Richards coming up the lane. He had been away on a preaching itinerary for six weeks and was coming home. \ ”Sermon, Unpublished, not dated. "r— m..— llarold knew that if he didn't shoot the cannon then, he would never get to shoot it; so he touched a match to the short fuse. Part of the load Twent out the end of the barrel. The rest, mostly powder, came out the touch-hole into Richards' face. The father heard the explosion, ran to the injured boy, and rushed him to the town doctor. The grains of powder were picked out of young Richards' eyes with a pair of tweezers, and for tumeeks he could see nothing but a little light. After the wounds were healed, a noticeable weakness and near sightedness were apparent, neces- sitating the future wearing of thick glasses.21 Conversion and baptism.--In the summer before Harold's thirteenth laixthday, his father and an associate pitched a small tent on the outskirts «ot'loveland, Colorado, and advertised a series of Bible lectures. Because tfl1e meetings were not too successful as measured by attendance, the Richards boys went each night to help "swell the crowd." In the middle Of the service the Richards half of the team became seriously ill with erysipelas. This left the burden of the meetings on the associate, Elder L. A. Spring. One Saturday afternoon a special meeting was announced for all the youth of the area. Out of regard for the sick father, and to encourage the struggling associate, Harold and his brother attended the aftcrnoon service. Relating what happened that afternoon, Richards says: Brother Spring was no pulpit orator. He was a quiet man and spoke diffidently, but the power of the Lord came into that little meeting. He appealed to us boys and girls to take our stand for the Lord and for His work, and to give our hearts to Christ. And I remember they sang a song out of the old Christ in Song hymnal, "That Gate Ajar for Me." 'There is a gate that stands ajar, And thro' its portals gleaming, A radiance from the cross afar, The Saviour's love revealing. 21Guy Interview, November 18, 1951:, ll, 12. _ 7M.“ 4—- 0 depth of mercy! can it be That gate was left ajar for me? For me, . . . for me? . . . Was left ajar for me?’ It seemed that song was a direct message to me. Then Brother Spring cal led for us to stand and come forward, and I did. Returning to his home that afternoon, the new convert told his gather what had happened to him. Without a word she took him into the I ittle room where his father lay swathed in the cotton batting used to soothe his inflamed skin. When the father heard the experience, "he wept softly and praised the Lord for answered prayer."22 A few weeks later after the-father had recovered from his illness; and after young Richards' thirteenth birthday, the boy was baptized in Lake Loveland, the lake in which he had learned to swim and fish. Richards recalled: It was a very beautiful, calm day and the lake was like a mirror. I could see the Rocky Mountains, the front range reflected in the lake while I was baptized and was standing in the water. I could see Long's Peak especially, which was my favorite mountain. I remember promising the Lorgathat I would be faithful to Him as long as that mountain stood. The world in the time of Richards' childhood.--The early years of M1:. Richards were important years in American life and thought. Their “meet and influence on the embryo preacher could be measured at that time ““37 in terms of the hero worship and awesome curiosity of a boy. The Ereater impact and influence would come when he began preaching to the A‘Ierican product of these times. The Spanish American War in 1898, left little impression on young R{Chards except the account of Teddy Roosevelt charging up San Juan Hill. \ 22Interview with H. Ma S. Richards, February 13, 1960, l, 2. Cited hereafter as Richards' Interview, February 13, 1960. ”this. ' ~— —__‘.-, , -v‘v'—"‘— F...- ‘(o to The gold rush to Alaska captured most of the four-year-old boy's mind because his grandfather, Newton Sylvester, his close companion, had gone north to find a fortune, and this was more important and exciting than: the distant war.” As he reached his teens and became more aware of his world, Richards and the neighbor boys on the farm to the west would get together out on a good pile or up on a wagon and talk about the inventions and discoveries of their time. Marconi had invented the wireless telegraph, which would ' be a part of the radio preacher's life from 1929 on; Wilbur and Orville Wright had made the first successful airplane flight; Madame Curie had discovered radium; the Model T Ford had been produced in Detroit, Mich- igan; the Pittsburgh nickelodion was getting wide publicity; and Admiral Peary had reached the North Pole. Richards remembers: I was pretty well acquainted with the new movements going on and the mew inventions. We boys would talk about these new inventions. We didn't dream, of course, what would go on later, but we discussed tlzigse things and wondered about the great age we were living in. - At the turn of the century the word "mortgage" became meaningful to Richards as he listened to his parents and grandparents speak of the debt on their farm and of the difficult times brought on by the "trusts." Grandfather Sylvester was a Populist who always spoke vehemently against big business and the trusts. When Teddy Roosevelt began to talk softly find carry a big stick in enforcing the Sherman Anti-trust law, it was only natural that he should become a hero in the eyes of young Richards, t“(High the boy actually knew little of the issues involved. The hero iliege of Roosevelt deveIOped as the boy scanned the western papers which R zulnterview with a. M. s. Richards, May 15, 1960, 1. Cited hereafter as Richards' Interview, May 15, 1960. 251bid., a. h . . -,,m_ . -v — _... -.-—- —.._..— M. 10 carried countless pictures and cartoons of the colorful president, but it was not until Richards had heard his hero speak that he was entirely captivated. Speaking of Roosevelt's influence, Richards says: When I finally got to see Roosevelt himself and heard him speak, I was thoroughly captivated by him. And I do think that he influenced me as a speaker a great deal. I wanted to be like him; I wanted that vitality, and that vigor, and that directness. And the way he'd double up that fist of his, I'll tell you, he was a bag; of fire. I often thought about him as a public sp eaker . Moving from the discussion of those social and political influences . puesent at the turn of the century, it is also important here to survey briefly the changing scene in the religious world. The protestant churches in the first part of the 1900's were busying themselves with evangelizing the world in their generation. Con- servative congregations spurned the scientific modernism which attempted to weaken their belief in the inspiration of the Bible and the other beliefs long held inviolate as "fundamental." In their churches they were demanding shorter sermons, less theology, and‘more dramatics of the {Billy Sunday variety. Liberal congregations found no real conflict be- tnveen science and religion and accepted evolution as God's way of running Ilia universe. Those clergymen who refused to emphasize the prevailing social and political issues of the day found themselves berated by play- ‘flrights, novelists, and the muckrackers.27 From 1890 to 1915, the introducing of the social gospel influenced thought and action in the protestant churches. Arthur Link describes the frame of reference for the new approach: g. 251mm. 1, 2. 27Jeannette P. Nichols, 'Nentieth Century United States, (New York, 19113), pp. 79, 80. wg- 4"- .fl--e .fi 11 The 1890's witnessed the wholesale acceptance of the theory of evolution by liberal theologians, and the consequent accommodation of religion to Darwinism was accompanied by the elevation of three ancient Christian concepts to new prominence in American religious thought. They were, first, the concept that God is everywhere present and works through human institutions; second, the concept of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man; third, the concept that the kingdom of God is now and that the chief duty of the church is the extension of that king- dom. Together, these concepts constituted a frame of reference and gapoint of departure for the proponents of social Christian- ity. 'Ihe social gospel movement, with Baptist walter Rauschenbusch as its ummjor prophet, worked to curb capitalism with Christian socialism. "For ‘the law of competition Rauschenbusch proposed to substitute cooperation, collectivism, and democracy, and thus to hasten the consumation of the kingdom of God on earth."29 Putting the new gospel into practice, the churches began to con- tcentrate on the social problems of the day. They fought intemperance land were successful in getting the eighteenth amendment ratified. Den- cnninational barriers were lowered enough to organize a Federal Council «of Churches for the purpose of presenting a united front against the social ills of the day. The cause of labor was espoused by many churches in crusades to abolish the sweatshop and child labor. The church was, on the whole, the most effective organiz- ation for giving expression to the American passion for humanitar- ianisméoand it rarely interposed any awkward dogmatic prerequi- sites. The High-School and College Years: 1910-1919 High-School_years.--By the time Harold was ready for high school, 28Arthur S. Link, American Epoch; A History of the United States §ygp the 1890's, (New York: 1955), p. 35. 291pm. 3oHenry Steele Commager, The American Mind, (New Haven: 1950), PP. 168-171. As Commager states: .. -17 12 his father had been appointed vice-president of the Colorado Conference ,‘ of Seventh-day Adventists. For years he had wanted his sons to have a church school education, and now he began to urge the conference com- mittee to build an academy in Loveland for the northern Colorado con- } stituency. He urged so strongly that the conference president said, 1 ”Well, Richards, if you are so concerned over this thing, why don't you go out and raise some money for it?" The vice-president went from the meeting and solicited until he had raised $8,000. This money was col- lected at a time when butter was ten cents per pound, eggs five to ten -”._~ » _.—_ m",~-o— - cents per dozen, and salaries around ten dollars a week. The determined father went next to the wealthiest farmer in the Loveland area and per- auaded him to give thirteen acres of his farm land for a campus. Campion Academy was immediately built, and in 1910 tall, sixteen-year-old Harold 31 .— —- mm... --..._-_. Richards began his high-school career. Each day for four school years Harold and his brother Kenneth walked two miles along a railroad track to attend school.32 An official transcript of his high-school record indicates that Richards took the following course of study: Old Testament History English II Arithmetic 8 Public Speaking Grammar 8 Botany U. 8. History Bible Doctrines Civics ' New Testament History Stenography English III Algebra I Daniel and Revelation English I History of Missions Latin I Advanced Algebra Elementary Agriculture ' Bookkeeping Spelling Denominational History 310“ ' y Interview, 9. ”Richards" Interview, February 13, 1960, 12-15. if“ _ “‘7 .—-—. - o...-—_. _ __ ..._.. *‘W ave-q 13 Plane Geometry Geography General History Physical Geography 33 In the afternoon after school Harold would stop by the little city library in loveland, a library which had come into existence through a gift from the Andrew Carnegie foundation. The lady librarian, sensing the hunger for knowledge in the bespectacled young student, guided his reading for four years through the important books and magazines of the day. hbst of his reading was done in history and biography. The New lupublic, the old Literary Diges , and H. L. Mencken's American Mercury, In read carefully each month.3u Speaking of the influence of reading . lbncken's Mercury, Richards commehts: Mencken was at the height of his glory then--the great iconoclast that he was, breaking a lot of idols, but he also had a lot of good sense. He was an American. I learned to read him with discretion and realized that this fellow was a skeptic and an unbeliever. I never absorbed what he wrote, never gave myself to any of his ideas, but I enjoyed reading them.3 From his reading in these magazines, Richards gained his impres- sions of the "progressive" era, an era described by Ralph Gabriel as a tium|of confusion, when a potpourri of socialistic and humanistic ideas jostled one another in a struggle to use man's intellect for reorganizing the world.36 Some of these ideas were voiced by such colorful figures 408 Robert La Follette, Eugene V. Debs, Woodrow Wilson, and Theodore Roosevelt. Richards recalls La Follette looking like a lion, with head bIckand long flowing hair. The election of Wilson became memorable ‘ 33Letter, Registrar's Office, Campion Academy, Loveland, Colorado, Nay zu, 1961. 3“Richards' Interview, May 15, 1960, 3. 35mm. 3, a. P 36Ralph Henry Gabriel, The Course of American Democratic Thought. hmw York: l9h0), p. 332. ~ -.. M. _a.|.u. ed -~"‘*-'F' “5g“ 1a because it was partly due, in young Richards' mind, to the fact that i his grandfather and grandmother, who had always voted Republican before, i voted for Wilson. 37 Another after-school activity enjoyed by young Richards was the time spent on the way home from school in regaling his brother Kenneth 91th highly imaginative stories. One such story, according to his 'r".h *' ."~_pr.~ * nether, was about a fight between the men and women living on the moon in which the women were so successful that only one man was left. The much quarreled over him until at last there was no one left on the Wm...— ~s—w~‘. ,- 1 noon, the only evidence of the war consisting of some hair pins and high-hes led shoes.38 ‘ Opportunities for recreation and entertainment during high school years were limited as far as :ichards was concerned. His family had * barely enough money to buy food and clothes, and few ndd jobs were to be found which might provide extra money. The church-rel atod high school did not participate in competitive sports, .nor were the students 9 permitted to attend staged entertainments which might come to the small town. The only outlet for youthful energy and creativity was the i literary society at the academy which had been organized by the English teacher. This society met on alternate Saturday nights in the school chapel. Here the students read poems and essays which they had written. Frequently they held a debate, and it was in debating that Harold ! learned to think on his feet and to overcome his fear of speaking before a group.39 Two debate topics which created much interest for both ‘ 37 Richards' Interview, May 15, 1960, ll. ”Mrs. H. M. J. Richards' Interview, January 12, 1960, 7. . 39Richards' Interview, February 13. 1950' 13° V, P U“— -~o—_._s _-. _ k a... M T ' I-“——m ~w-w2m-0.‘.-H~nu-._ __ ,‘u mm...“ 15 debaters and those who listened were: ”Resolved that American Indians c more mistreated than American negroes;"uo and "Resolved that the influence of women is greater than that of men.”ul In the latter If debate Richards was assigned the'affirmative. - As the debate progressed, it appeared that his side was going to lose the decision; as a final .rgument in rebuttal the young debater cited the example of Eve, who had led the entire human race into sin. The logic of the well-known incident appeared unanswerable, and the judges awarded the decision to Harold and his debate partner.“2 When Mr. Richards' fanily moved to Colorado, one of the first things they did was to organize the Seventh-day Adventists of that area into a church. A little white church was moved from the country and put on a lot in Loveland. The first winter only Harold, his grandmother, and another old lady attended each week. The rest of the family were off preaching the gospel or digging for gold, and the few "believers" in the surrounding area lived too far to brave the winter weather. Later, after evangelistic and revival meetings held by Richards' father and other itinerant preachers, the church increased in membership. Twice each year an ordained minister would visit the church, the rest of the time the congregation depended on the senior lay elder in the church for their 39 iritual guidance. The elder of the Loveland church was an old rancher, ‘ "Brother Regan." Speaking of him, Richards says: I can see him now. lle wouldn't think of going up there in that pulpit. That was too holy a place for him. Just the minister quonathan Penner, "The Radio Preaching of H. M. S. Richards," (unpublished Master's thesis, Purdue University, 1958), p. 16. “ICottrell,I28. uzIbid. 16 or conference president when they came through could go up there. No sir, he stood down on the floor with Bible in hand. I remem- ber him standing there with that big Bible, the tears running down his cheeks. I tell you, he did more for us boys than all the preachers in the country because we knew he was a man of God. He was an old cow puncher, and talked just like them. He's the man that kept us in the straight and narrow. After Harold's conversion he became teacher of a Sabbath School class, then secretary and superintendent of the Sabbath School, and finally a deacon and elder of the churchfm In the summers during the first part of his high-school years Harold traveled with his father and assisted him in tentimeetings. He worked as tent master, greeting the people and passing out song books and literature. While his father preached, Richards took careful notes and collected numerous illustrations. Moving from place to place across the country, the young man met many people and gradually lost his fear of strangers. Between tent meetings he and his father visited such places as New York and Washington D. C., where they attended General Conference sessions of the church.“5 During the summer of 1912, the tent was pitched in Fort Lupton, Colorado. Harold's father made an excuse to be gone during a Saturday afternoon meeting and told his son that he was to be the preacher. De- lighted but fearful, Harold asked what subject he should take. His father said, "Well, you had better take angels." Harold was now more fearful and asked, "Is there enough in the Bible to preach on this subject?" His father answered, "You look and see if there isn't." For his “3Richards' Interview, January 21, 1960, 16. ““Ibid. ”beld., 22. - -.“.".~...-“ 17 first sermon the embryo ecclesiastic found more than enough material.“ A few days after he had preached, an old lady came to the tent and said: Oh, you don't know what that sermon meant to me. I live over beyond the tracks all alone and have just a few chickens. I am afraid someone will kill me there. When you preached on the subject of angels, I thought, surely the angels are guarding me, and I want you to know I do not have any more fear. This testimony greatly encouraged Richards. Recalling the incident, he says, "I don't know her name but I hope the Good Lord will reward her some day because she never knew what she meant to me. I was about to believe that I was a failure as a preacher."u7 The summer of 1913 Harold spent as tent master in Philadelphia. During his spare time he sold the religious magazine, Signs of the Times, for five cents a copy.“ The following school year, Richards and his close friend, Kenneth Cant, felt that they should go out on their own and try to win someone to Christ and the church. During a soliciting campaign for foreign missions the boys found a lady very ill with tuberculosis who was willing for them to come to her home and conduct Bible studies. Every Thursday night the two hopefuls would walk down the railroad track three and one half miles to conduct the study. Before they went into the "Owen's house they would stop at the mail box and pray. Neither of them knew how to give a study or how to preach. One would talk for five ummotes and run out of something to say, whereupon the other would talk until he was speechless. When qmstions came up which they were unable t0 answer, the boys would put off their questioner with, "We don't know. \ “61bid., 16. “Guy Interview, 19 . “Richards' Interview, January 21, 1960, 17. w—w “'—‘-’ 18 we'll try'to tell you next week." This went on for nearly three years, and then as Richards says, "We didn't know how to bring her to a decision and she decided to accept on her own. She pushed us aside and walked right over us into the church. A few months later she died."“9 Getting their first convert greatly encouraged Richards and Cant, and they began to hold gospel meetings on Sunday afternoons in all the school houses within ten miles of the Academy. The size of their con- gregations varied between six and ten, and their sermons lasted about twenty minutes . 50 In the summer of 19111, the two young preachers felt they were ready to become great tent evangelists. The conference president per- nitted them to take a round tent, old and leaky, out on the prairie near Holyoke, Colorado. Borrowing seats from Fort Harris, they got thee tent ready for the great opening. That first night the congregation was made up of one girl and eighteen men, all occupying the two back rows of the tent. Gant's sister played an old organ, very high in pitch. Gant could not sing a note, and Richards could not sing high Romano. The congregation refused to participate at all. Needless to Sly, the size of the congregation and the spirit of the young preachers Progressively shrank in succeeding nights. Then, as if the situation “ere not difficult enough, a mother cat and six kittens, owned by the l“lethodist preacher next door, came to the meeting each night. They “bold walk into the tent and up the aisle. just as the preaching was well “Vader way. Each time they made their way up on the platform and walked ‘11 around the pulpit. This spectacle provided much amusement for the \_ ___i ”any Interview, 19. soRichards Interview, February 13, 1960, 1a. ”1 ‘F -1“— fi‘we w. __ - 19 ”3.11 audience and much concern for the speaker. The distraction was too much for Richards. He warned Gant that if the cats came in while he was preaching and Gent did not take them out, he would stop the ser- gxnnabruptly and take the cats out himself. For a few nights Gant caught the cats at the door and put them in an empty food box in the back of the tent. One night, however, they were late and walked right into the meeting as before. In desperation Gent grabbed the cats and ‘took them out. Once outside, be grasped them by the tails and threw them over into the preacher's back yard. The audience and Richards _ could hear each cat land on the woodpile none too gently. The next Iaight all but one returned. However, during the rest of the summer, the cats were caught early and confined in the food box during the sermon halt. Thus ended the first lesson in platform poise during a disturbance. In spite of the lessons learned, the meetings appeared doomed to failure. After each meeting the discouraged preachers would go out on the prairie and pray loudly for the Lord .to take them out of Holyoke, loack to the farm to shock wheat or to do anything which might take them away from their misery. When the last meeting was over and they had baptized their one convert, a rather simple soul, they crawled back to the Academy, keeping very quiet about their summer's "preaching mission."51 Campion Academy's first graduating class had one member in it, llarold Marshall Sylvester Richards. The underclassmen and faculty ttwisted on giving their senior a memorable graduation, leaving out none 9! the usual ceremonies. He sat alone through all the exercise and \H 51any Interview, 20, 21. 20 heard a commencement address written in his honor.52 The other students ,3" nothing inappropriate in this formality in honor of a lone graduate, frat according to his mother, Harold was greatly beloved at the academy and was considered the best speaker and student on the canpus, yet also the most humble.53 Undecided as to whether to go to college or to go directly into the ministry, Harold teamed up again with Kenneth Cant to hold meetings in Woodland Park, Colorado, a small town which had been built near Pike's Peak and had a population of 100. The meetings were held in an old dance pavilion built out over a lake where a canvas tent wall was placed around the pavilion to afford some .degree of privacy. Nearly the entire taoear1turned out to hear the two preachers. One old man with a long white beard always sat on the front row, and as the preaching began, he ‘KDllld drop off to sleep and begin to snore. After a few nights of noisy harassment, Richards tried an experiment. 'Working his way over to the front of the snoring man, he leaned over almost in the sleeper's face and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, the church is asleep today. It has to WAKE UP!” Richards then bounded to the other end of the platform, Preaching as he went. The snoring stopped abruptly, and the startled '“331 sought to regain his composure. The next day the boys found some “ilk and eggs at their door as a peace offering. Another incident occurred during the Woodland Park meetings which made a lasting/impression on Mr. Richards. He relates the episode as (OI-lows: \ 523233.. 9.. 53Mrs. H. M. J. Richards Interview, 7. 5"Guy Interview, 22, 23. v“ ~—---‘.._-, em»... 21 We were awakened one morning by a general disturbance and learned that the villagers were dragging the lake for the body of a woman. Soon they found the body and laid it on the platform where Gant and I preached from each night. This woman had been sitting before us every night. We had gone on Sunday to visit her. She had a lovely home, good husband, and beauti- ful children, and she seemed happy. There was a stranger visit- ing in the home when we called and we thought it best not to talk about religion or to have prayer. We paid our respects and promised to return. That night she did not come to the meeting. Instead she went and jumped in the lake back of our tabernacle. She left a note asking me to preach her funeral sermon. The visitor had been an old sweetheart. When she saw him, she lost hold of herself, left her husband and children and went and drowned herself. imagine how Gent and I felt. The woman I should have talked with and prayed with and didn't. We did a lot of heart-seagching then, I tell you, and a lot of weeping before the Lord.5 In the fall Richards received a call to come east to Pennsylvania. His father, now president of the Pennsylvania Conference, asked him to assist an older evangelist, Howard Detwiler, in Mansfield, Pennsylvania. A church was started as a result of their evangelistic endeavors. from here they went to Blossburg, Pennsylvania, and built a church building, putting on the last shingles as winter began.56 While assisting Evangelist Detwiler in Blossburg, Richards was sent to nearby Millerton, Pennsylvania, with two Pennsylvania Dutch People, Harry and Anna Rahn. Richards was to do the preaching, Harry was to lead the singing, and Anna was to serve as cook. The only avail- able hall in which to hold meetings was an Odd Fellows hall; but it was under the jurisdiction of an undertaker, George Miller, who hated preach- e1‘s, especially Adventist preachers. His wife was a Seventh-day Adventist christian whose life was a constant rebuke to his godlessness. When Richards went to request permission to use the hall, Undertaker Miller “as reading about the impending fight between Jess Willard and Jack \ '1 551b1d.,23. - / 56Richards Interview, January 21, 1960, 18. awe} .J“ 22 Johnson. Thinking to make conversation, the young preacher mentioned something about the fight. Miller at once challenged him to a sparring match. Except for one fight over religion and some playful boxing at academy, Harold had never boxed. Yet he knew that if he wanted the hall, he would have to cater to the undertaker's whims. The two men went back into the room where the coffins and embalming fluid were stored, pushed them back, and drew a regulation ring. When the gloves were tied on and the match got underway, it was apparent that this was not being carried on as sport, but that Miller was actually trying to knock the preacher out. Richards back-pedaled and dodged the worst blows until he could tell that the older man was getting winded. Then he prayed silently, ”lord, this man needs a licking if any man ever did. ‘Por his wife's sake and for the sake of truth help me to lay him out." .As the seventh round began, Richards waded in and in a few seconds had his opponent on the floor. This so infuriated Miller that he leaped to his feet and, forgetting all boxing technique, begain to flail the air. 1hen Richards hit him as much and as often as he desired, finally knocking him out. When Miller came to, he got up, put out his hand, and said, "Preacher, if you ever come to this town and don't stay at my house, there is going to be trouble." The hall was rented, and the meet- ings were successfula Richards later visited George Miller as he was on Ida death bed and helped him to find spiritual strength for his last hours.57 After the Blossburg meeting, Richards was sent to work with Elder JR S. Washburn in Philadelphia until late summer 1916.58 College years.--In the late fall of 1916, Harold Richards went to S7Guy Interview, 23-25. ”Richards Interview, February 13, 1960, 19. T: _- .. --_..a. WV 23 Washington D. C., to attend Washington Missionary College. He arrived in time to watch a parade, at the head of which was Wilson all dressed in blue coat, white trousers, and straw hat, as he campaigned for the coming election. The parade banners read, "He kept us out of war!" World War I had broken out in Europe before Richards had left Colorado, and at the time it seemed remote from his life. When America entered the war and he became eligible for the draft, he sensed with all} seriousness how brief his college career and future ministry might be. 1N0 sooner had he enrolled for college than he was called to sign up for the draft. Two fellow students who sat on either side of him in classes 1were taken, but for some unknown reason, Richards was never called.59 It was necessary for Mr. Richards to work his way through college. ‘Hblding his ministerial credentials given him in 191“, he served as pas- tor of the Capitol Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church, located just east 10f the nation's capitol, and in the summer worked in tent evangelism. In addition to this, he paid his rent by firing furnace for six apart- ments in the apartment house where he lived. Grandmother Sylvester had ‘come east after her husband's death, and she made it her job to do his housekeeping.60 As the college and apartment house were located in Takoma Park, it was necessary for Richards to ride several miles on the trolley car, changing cars twice during the hour and a half ride to his church. Dur- ing the long ride he would study Greek and his more difficult subjects. In the winter he would get home at midnight and then get up at four m 59Richards Interview, May 15, 1960, 5. \ 60Richards Interview, February 13, 1960, 19, 20. ““"’W "utvu-I I‘M 2h o'clock to fire the furnace and finish preparing for the next day's lessons.61 Given the responsibility of preaching twice each week in the winter, and every night in the summer, Richards was forced to do in- tensive study in sermon preparation. Many of his sermon outlines he worked out in the college library. Here he put to practical use some of the material from the classroom, adding to it the sermon notes and outlines of other preachers. He gathered much material as he visited all the churches in Washington D. C., to hear the great preachers.62 Best known to Richards was William A. Sunday, the famous "Billy" Sunday, who fought sin and indifference by carrying over into the pulpit the vocabulary and gestures of a baseball pitcher, urging his hearers to ”put it over the plate for Jesus."63 The night Congress voted the Eighteenth Amendment into the constitution, Richards went to hear Sunday preach to an audience of ten thousand people. Sunday had a big tabernacle on the north side of the capitol grounds and shouted temper- ance all through the evening. Richards was inspired by Sunday's earnest- ness and enthusiasm, and intended to include these in his own future preaching.6“ Mr. Richards' college years were also the years of World War I. The great war dominated the thought of American citizens. Constantly they were subjected to atrocity propaganda, and gradually they were led into active participation. Wilson's "make the world safe for democracy" / 6Inna. 6"’11:ch 63Harvey Wish, Contemporary America, The National Scene 1900, (New Ibrk: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1955), p. h3. 6“Richards Interview, May 15, 1960, 8. ‘vv fl. 9 N.._- .’ 25 had created a philosophical context for American entrance into the war as he called upon his people to "fight not simply to maintain the rights and the honor of the nation but to achieve a world victory for the democratic religion."65 As Richards went out to conduct his canvas crusades in the summers of 1917 and 1918, he found an attitude of skep- ticism which made preaching for a religious revival most difficult. He remembered the preaching just prior to the war when other Protestant divines were "piping tunes of peace," while he and others were talking about the possibility of world war and Armageddon. Now that the war had actually come, these religious intelligentsia, and even the man on the street, were shocked as they .read of men dying by the thousands in foreign trenches. The effect was a personal agony to millions, and they were finding it impossible to harmonize what they were experiencing with God's love. As Richards preached, he was careful not to say, "this is the last war," but he felt at the time that the hour in which he was preaching could be earth's last hour, and this feeling gave earnestness to what he said. He was alarmed as he witnessed the gradual drift of America toward skepticism and fatalism. The authority of the Christian faith seemed to him to be losing its hold on the American mind. Against these oddsgthe young preacher continued his preaching; and as a result of his two sumer's work, two churches were started which have growing congregations at the present writing.“5 By this time, also, the church leaders, convinced that this young evangelist had been called of God, had added their stamp of approval by ordaining him to the gospel ministry -‘ 65Gabriel, American Democratic Thought, 365. “Richards Interview, May 15. 1960, 6. -r--v- —— V - 26 on September 21, 1918.67 At this sacred service Mr. Richards took as a umtto for his future preaching the text found in I Corinthians 2:1, 2: ”And I, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God, for I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified."68 In the Washington Missionary’College Sligonian Annual dated Mby, 1919, is a page dedicated to the senior class president. There, under the picture of President Harold Marshall Sylvester Richards, are written the following words: The general voice Sounds him-for coumtesy, behavior, language, And every fair demeanor, an example; Titles of honor add not to his worth, Who is himself an honor to his title.69 In three years, by taking correspondence courses and additional <:lass work, Harold Richards completed requirements for a Bachelor's (legree, with a major in theology. His curriculum was as follows: 1916~1917 European History Greek I Philosophy . a Advanced Bible Doctrines Advanced College Rhetoric 'L 1917-1918 Advanced English Literature Major and Minor Prophets Epistles Economics European Government Greek 11 History of Antiquity History of Greece Introduction to Philosophy Ethics 1918-1919 Greek III Sociology 67Personal'Service Record, p. l. 686ny Interview, 55. 69"The President,” ligonian Annual, May, 1919, p. 11. ) w—a-n' 7—. w - v ~ I “we“- 27 Pastoral Training Rome and the Middle Ages American History &nternational Law Present Philosophy7 although he had been mostly occupied with earning his way through col- 1¢g¢, he found enough time to endear himself to his fellow students and tolthe college staff.71 He had been active on caupus as writer for the Aeropagus column of the Sligonian,72 as president of the Quadrangle Club, as leader of the Ministerial Band, as assistant editor of the Sligonian, and as president of his class in both his junior and senior years.73 In his president's message to the senior class, Richards said: These are the days big with promise and freighted with destiny. The gates of service are wide Open, and the call is loud. War is over just now, and men prophesy times of peace. As the Four Winds clear and the smoke of world conflict, the Seven Seas make wide a pathway to the ends of all the earth. We do not mistake the meaning of this hour. We under- stand to a degree its serious import and its unexampled oppor- tunity. And we accept the challenge. We can do no otherwise than be true to our Alma Mater for she is the Gateway, not to Careers, but to Service. The '19 legion has its orders, and they are simple-~"Forward March" ' From here to there and everywhere, Tb northern woods and southern seas, From old Arcturus to the Pleades The way leads still; from Dark to Dawn; on, Class of '19 Onward! 0n:7“ Blder‘Richards and the class of 1919 would be marching into a world of changing morality. Americans were still formally Christian, and many of them saw fit to maintain a nominal connection with some 70Official Transcript, Washington Missionary College (Columbia Union.College), Takoma Park, Maryland, dated May 26, 1919. 71Guy Interview, 28." 7281igonian, December, 1917. p. 21. ”Sligonian, May, 1919. p. n. 7n81igonian, Mby 1919. 22. ww—w M- ww—r _—— —. -In-'rV-r1-.—- 28 church, but "few” would admit any categorical connection among religion, church. and morals.75 Progressivism had been somewhat indifferent to 76 As the church lost any religion other than social gospel religion. the authority to enforce the standards which had been carried over from the nineteenth century, the conflict between tradition and practice brought an increase in moral disorders to the post-war world. One writer. Ralph‘Hanry Gabriel, considers the growth of science a cause in part of the difficult situation. He states that: The differences which distinguish the twentieth century .from its predecessors spring from the growth of science. The naturalism of the laboratory has replaced religion in providing a frame of reference for modern American thought. Einstein, the physicist, has become a twentieth century Aristotle. Science, moreover, has created that technology which is the foundation of modern civilisation. It has caused a moral, impersonal energy to plunge, like a mighty Niagara, into that basin called society. This roaring flood of energy has thrown human atoms into a swiftness of motion unknown in any previous age.7 ‘dhatever the cause, or causes, the dire result was to be witnessed by 1the class of 1919 and all the world during the fateful years which followed. By the time he had graduated from college, Elder Richards had Ceylon, because of govern- ment restrictions, cut off all religious programs,57 the broadcast in North America, however, continued to grow, as indicated by fact sheet figures published in 1957. According to the fact sheet, there was Voice of Prophecy affiliation with 800 stations around the world in twenty 52Voice of Prophecy Board Minutes, January, 1956. 53Mildred Ross, "Worldwide Radio Ministry,” TV-Radio Life, November 12, l95h, l. ' suInterview with Douglas v. Pond, August 11, 1960. 55vop News, vol. x1v, (June, 1956), l. 5°lhid., voi. XIV, (September,_l956), l. s7vop “9",, Vol. xv, (Januarbeebruary, 1957). 1. __.__‘_r—-.—-.,- 71 spoken languages. Five hundred eleven of these stations were in North America.58 The United States Information Agency reported in 1958 that there were 300 million radio receiving sets around the world, and that nearly one half of these sets were located in American homes, cars, and public listening places. The October, 1958 Voice of Prophecy News appealed to its 120,000 subscribers to "unite your prayers with those of the voice of Prophecy staff that God may continue to bless our world-wide radio ministry, that millions of listeners may'be turned to Christ"?9 Letter response of 600,000 letters for 1958 was at its highest point since 1953.60 Mail contributions increased by $10,000.61 Meat important, there was an increase of 170 in the number of reported bap- tisms.62 Significant in the history of the broadcast for 1959 is the account of the success in Alaska and Hawaii, the mail response from listeners in both states reached all time highs during the year.63 On August 8, 1960 the American Broadcasting Company notified the voice of Prophecy that unless they signed up for the entire ABC network,- instead of their current seventy per cent coverage, they would be asked to cancel their contract.' This forced Mr. Richards and his group to extend their already strained 1960 budget to include thirty-six new L 58Voice of Prophecy Fact Sheet, 1957, l. 59vor News, Vol. xvx, (October, 1958), 1. 60Voice of Prophecy Annual Financial Reports, December 31, 1959, p.22. ' . , I“ 6libid. 62Voice of Prophecy MOnthly Records, 1959. 63vop News, vol. xv11. (August. 1959), 1. “- I$.__A _c... - 72 stations, thus increasing the coverage of the broadcast by the end of 1960 to 895 stations in the United States. Tb help finance the addi- tional network stations, Mr. Richards appealed to the Seventh-day Adventist church membership; and they responded with a $200,000 gift, the largest offering received by the voice of Prophecy in its history. The broadcast coverage remained essentially the same over the National Broadcasting Company and the Mutual Broadcasting System. ' Available figures for the year 1960, the last year considered in this study, reflect a slight drop in the amount of mail received, but an increase of $56,515.06 in mail contributions. It is observed that the nuuber of Bible Correspondence School graduates and the number of reported baptisms are slightly under the increases of 1959. Mr. Douglas V. Pond, director of Public Relations for the voice of Prophecy, explained the decrease in baptisms on the basis of incomplete reports of the bap- tisms from the field in 1960. The drop in the number of pieces of mail was attributed by Mr. Pond to the fact that no new Bible correspondence cotrses had been offered, nor the existing ones as highly advertised as formerly.6n The Objectives and Organization of the Broadcast Broadcast 0bjectives.-AWhen Elder Richards began broadcasting extensively in 19h2, he stated that the chief objective of his broad- casts was that of ”proclaiming Christ to the millions." 'This objective is based upon Richards' interpretation of Christ's pronouncement to His disciples, ”this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world ___. 6“Interview with Douglas V. Pond, voice of Prophecy Public Relations Office, February 26, 1961. me... p _ wwwj 73 for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 2“:l“). Richards hopes to reach by radio the millions of people who do not attend church, yet who are not anti-religious. In a statement of his convictions he says: When Christ was on earth He went where the people were, on the seashore, in the market-place, to take His message. We believe that the press, radio, and television are His instruments today for taking that message to the people.65 The formal statement of objectives for the Broadcast is found in Article III of the Articles of Incorporation: The particular business and objects for which this cor- poration is formed are for the following purposes: (a) Diffusing moral and religious knowledge throughout the entire world by means of apparatus for trans- mitting speech by electricity without wires, com- monly called radio telephone apparatus, or radio broadcasting apparatus. (b)' To further especially the broadcasting by radio and any and all other means of communication or trans- mission of religious, educational, and other addresses, special programs, meetings, and assemblages in the interest of religious enterprises, missionary, chari- table or benevolent societies. Administration and Staff.--The business affairs and funds of the voice of Prophecy corporation are under the control of a Board of Trustees, wMich is elected quadrennially by the executive committee of the General Conference of.Seventh-day Adventists.67 This board is comprised of offi- cers of the church at General Conference and Union Conference levels, and h 65"The Pastor Who Beat the Undertaker,” People, February 10, 195a, p. l . . 66Articles of Incorporation and BybLaws of the voice of Prophecy, Revised 195a, p. 0. 67Ibid., 5. 7:: includes key officers from the Voice of Prophecy staff. Elder Richards serves as a member of the Board of Trustees as an advisor in matters of budget and is consulted on important changes in policy which directly affect the broadcast.6 As of 1960 a staff of 130 is required to carry on the work which pertains to the broadcast. The staff is under the direction of Elder Richards ad is made up of associate speakers, business managers, a full-time public relations director, print shop personnel, Bible Correspondence school personnel, mail room personnel, broadcast person- nel, and secretarial personnel. Finance.--The 1960 budget for the Voice of Prophecy broadcast, which includes broadcasting, production, and operating costs, amounts to $1,295,616.20. When this figure is commred with the beginning bud- get of $15 per week, the growth of the program appears to be phenomenal.69 The contributions from listeners for the year 1960 is $995,699.96.7o This amount comes to the Voice of PrOphecy headquarters by mail in offerings ranging from twenty-seven cents to five thousand 71 dollars. The larger offerings are usually presented in the form of wills and trust agreements. Some of the offerings are check and money order gifts for amounts over $25. A survey of the letters which accom- pany many of the smaller contributions indicates that listeners initiate the following kinds of projects for the purpose of raising money’ for the broadcast : _— 681nterview with James Chase, April 15, 1958. 69Voice of Prophecy Operating Budget, 1960. 7°Vbice of Prophecy Annual Financial Report, 1960. 71Interview with I. B. Gillie, August 8, I960. 75 Selling junk Selling home—made bread Making candles Fines for broken resolutions Babysitting Memorial gifts for loved ones Selling pints of blood Anniversary offerings Saving of coupons and green Birthday offerings stamps Piggy banks Quilting Old gold, jewelery, etc. Fruit picking 'The steadiest source of mail offering income for the broadcast 'ie from the sustaining membership plan. A large number of listeners pledge fixed amounts to the Voice of Prophecy, which is depended on in making up the annual budget. In 1960 there were around 85,000 sustaining members. Included in this group of donors are members of the Vbice of Prophecy staff who contribute around $11600 annually in pay roll de- ductions.’2 It is significant to note that while funds are indirectly soli- cited through the Voice of Prophecy_yews, and through offering gift books, calendars, etc., there is no indication that direct appeals for funds have ever been a part of Vbice of Prophecy broadcasts. Sources of voice of Prophecy income, other than mail contributions, include as of 1960, (1) an annual offering from Seventh-day Adventist churches in North America which amounts to around $170,000, (2) an appropriation from the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists of $60,000, and (3) miscellaneous income from investments, production and recording, and church conference contributions amounting to approximately $100,000.,3 Advertising and Promotion.--Prom the time of the first broadcast hll9u2, the commercial advertising of the Voice of Prophecy program has —._. 721bid. 73Voice of Prophecy Operating Budget, 1960. i.— -.- au “‘—1 A _M‘LM 76 been handled by professional advertising agencies. From l9h7 to the present writing, the Milton Carlsen Advertising Agency of Hollywood, California, has handled the program. This agency recommends, after re- search, which stations the broadcast should be on, and the best times for reaching the most people for the least money. In addition, the agency maintains all contacts with radio stations which carry the broad- cast, handling time buying, advertising, or acting as liaison between the Vbice of Prophecy Board and station management. Mr. Milton Carlsen, the owner of the advertising agency for the broadcast, acts as producer for'each broadcast, and writes the weekly ”commercials” which intro- duce the Bible Correspondence courses. Carlsen also sits on the voice of Prophecy Plans and Program Committee as an advisor in matters of pro- gram format and promotion other than agency advertising.7n The Voice of Prophecy public relations office handles a major portion of the publicity and promotion carried on outside the commercial agency. Circularisation of the constituency of the Seventh-day Adventist church constitutes the major advertising thrust in behalf of the broad- cast. Bach Adventist church in the United States receives quantities of advertising materials in the form of church bulletins, radio logs, automobile stickers, telephone dial covers, and Bible Correspondence School enrollment cards.v Other direct and indirect advertising which originates from the voice of Prophecy headquarters includes display ads placed in church papers, state and county fair displays, circularisation of listeners through the Vbice of Prophecy News, and highway billboards. _— 7“Interview with Miss Ruth Johnson of Milton Carlsen Advertising Agency, DU 8-9h6h, in Los Angeles, California, August 8, 1960. 77 An estimated two million pieces of direct advertising are mailed an- nually in the United States.75 In each Adventist church a radio secretary is elected each year to promote the voice of Prophecy broadcast, along with other local and national radio and television activities of the denomination. These secretaries organize groups within the church to do door-to-door can- vassing of listener interest in the voice of Prophecy program, and to invite people to listen to the weekly broadcasts.76 Perhaps the most effective form of direct promotion for the program is the annual tour of campmeetings taken by Elder Richards and broadcast members. ‘Weeks before the summer campmeeting season begins for the Seventh-day Adventist churches in the United States, an announce- ment of the itinerary of Mr. Richards and his group is made on the Voice of Prophecy broadcast and in the voice of Prophecy Mews. Listeners are invited to attend the campmeetings to hear Richards in person. At each campmeeting, according to D. V. Pond, director of voice public relations, Richards discovers on inquiry that a significant group of broadcast lie- teners turns out to hear him preach. At these campmeetings he gives a report on the success of the broadcast and appeals to his audiences to support him in his work. l Format and Features of the Broadcast Format.--The format of the Vbice of Prophecy broadcast in use in 1960 has been gradually developed from the format used for the first national broadcast of the Voice of Prophecy program in 1902. 7sGillie Interview, August 8, 1960. 7‘1bid. 78 Radio listeners who tune in to the Voice of PrOphecy program hear first the broadcast theme song, "Jesus is Coming Again," which is sung by the "King's Heralds," a male quartette. The quartette then hume while the Voice of Prophecy announcer introduces the program with the words: ”This is the Voice of Prophecy--a Voice crying in the wil- derness of these modern days: 'Prepare ya the way of the lord.” After further identification of the program as to its point of origin, and its nature, the quartette sings a gospel hymn or other religious choral music arranged for the quartette. As the song is finished, an organ bridge leads into a one-minute prayer by Elder Richards which is closed with a prayer song. Another hymn by the quartette follows the prayer song, after which the announcer gives a commercial which advertises the free book of the month, urging listeners to write in for the book of for free copies of Elder Richards' sermons. After a third musical number, either by the quartette or a soloist, Elder Richards preaches a twenty- minute sermon. Sometimes when there are personal appearances of music grows from nearby Seventh-day Adventist colleges, or if a special guest is introduced, the sermon is reduced to a minimum of twelve minutes. When the sermon ends, the quartette sings an appeal song. This is fol- lowed by a reminder announcement about Richards' sermons and the book of the month. Elder Richards then makes an announcement about the Bible Correspondence courses. At the close of his commercial he invites the audience to become "regular listeners." After an organ bridge Richards reads a stanza from his continuous poem, "Have Faith in God." (This P0“. begun in 1902, has at the close of 1960 nine hundred and thirty- six stansas.) After the poem Richards repeats a Scriptural benediction, and the broadcast closes with an organ bridge and network identification. 79 The only significant change in the format of the Voice of Prophecy broadcast from 1992 to 1961 is in the announcement which identifies the program. Until 1955, Elder Richards was not announced as a Seventh-day Adventist minister. Then, because of criticism by other church groups, the broadcast was identified from time to time as being sponsored by the Seventh-day'Adventist church. Since January of 1958, Richards has been introduced as a Seventh-day Adventist minister]7 From 1902 to 1955 the Voice of Prophecy program was broadcast live from network studios in los Angeles, California. Transcriptions of the live broadcast were sent out to stations on which ”spot” time had been purchased. After 1955 the program was recorded on tape in the voice of Prophecy studio and released simultaneously in all areas.78 Because of his summer field appointments when Mr. Richards and broadcast personnel are away from headquarters, each Voice of Prophecy broadcast must be prepared six months in advance.- As of 1961 none of the choral music used on the broadcast is live, and all songs are dubbed in by tape.79 According to Voice of Prophecy officials, the format of the voice of Prophecy broadcast is designed to appeal to listeners of all ages and walks of life.‘ Since American radio networks carry most religious broad- casts on Sunday, the voice of Prophecy buys Sunday listening time to enhance listener potential, When radio time is purchased, the morning hours between eight and twelve o'clock are requested for the purpose of .77Ibid. 781bid. 79Interview'with Brad Braley, August 8, 1960. 80 reaching both church and non-church goers. Numerous letters which come to the voice of Prophecy headquarters state that the program is listened to before the correspondent goes to church. Other letters state that listening to the Vbice of Prophecy broadcast constitutes the only Sunday church activity in which the letter writer engages. Where time is not available during the morning hours, the Voice of Prophecy advertising agency seeks topurchase afternoon and evening hours between two and nine o'clock.80 Features.--The "Prayer Circle" is a unique feature of the Voice of Prophecy broadcast. During the early days of World War II in 19u2, Elder Richards announced on his broadcast that he and his staff prayed each Thursday morning for the men and women in the armed forces, and their families. Letter response to this announcement indicated strong approval; and suggestion was made by many listeners for the ”Prayer Circle” activities to be extended to include all kinds of prayer requests. Periodically on succeeding broadcasts listeners were told of the special prayer service and were invited to send in requests. In the mail room at the Voice of Prophecy headquarters a special file is prepared each week which includes up to 1500 prayer requests which have been sent in by listeners. In addition, Elder Richards' secretary gleans prayer requests from letters, telegrams, and telephone calls which come directly to him, placing them along with the other re- quests in a large box on which is written the words, ”Ask what ye will, and it shall be done." The box of requests is brought to the voice of Prophecy chapel on Thursday morning, and a cross section number are read aloud to the working staff who are gathered for morning worship. Many A; 80Chase Interview, April, 1958. _ 81 of the requests come from people who are ill, or who have been seriously injured. Still other letters request prayer for help in handling de- linquent children, mending broken homes, overcoming health destroying habits, obtaining employment, selling property, and etc. After the requests have been read, Elder'Richards prays and "brings the requests to God.” After the prayer service he sometimes sends a letter to those making the most urgent requests, stating that he has prayed and will continue to pray for the individuals involved.81 Frequently, following the Thursday morning "Prayer Circle," letters will come to the Voice of’ Prophecy group telling them how they feel "God has answered prayer." Sample remarks from these letters are as follows: I wrote you asking that you pray for me as I was in desperate need of work and had been for several months. On Thursday, the day you prayed, I received a call to report for work the next morning.--Washington, D. C. About six weeks ago I wrote you asking prayer for my grandson. He had a pressure on his brain, and doctors said there wasn't any hope for him to get well. But thank God, who is able to heal, he hasn't had a spell since the very day your staff prayed for him.-~Colorado. During the winter I wrote asking you to pray that our home would not be broken. I want you to know that I definitely feel that your prayers helped to keep our home together.---Michigan.82 The Voice of PrOphecy Bible School is another major feature of the Voice of Prophecy program. In February of l9h2, a month after the inauguration of the coast to coast broadcast of the Voice of Prophecy program, Fordyce W. Detamore, then an evangelist in Kansas City, Missouri, was called by Elder Richards _ '9 ~ -.__ 81Interview with Douglas V. Pond, November 10, 1960. 8“”VOP News, Vol. IX, (January, 1950), 2. 82 to become manager and announcer for the Voice of Prophecy broadcast. In his former evangelistic work Mr. Detamore had successfully used a free Bible Correspondence course on his own radio broadcast. Convinced of the value of correspondence courses as adjuncts to radio preaching, Detamore suggested the establishing of a Bible School in connection wdth the Voice of Prophecy broadcast. Elder Richards was at first op- posed to the novel idea, but after being urged to at least try the idea he gave Detamore permdssion to offer a free Bible course to Voice of ‘ PrOphecy listeners.83 At the end of February of l9h2 an adult course in Bible doctrines was announced by Elder Richards over the Mutual network. Each lesson in the course was prepared in question and answer form, the answers to be found only in the Bible.8u Growing interest in the Bible school idea prompted the voice of Prophecy planning committee to add other Bible correspondence courses designed to reach as many interest groups as possible. Bible lessons in Braille were offered to blind listeners late in 19112.85 In 1903 a Junior Bible School was organized to offer twelve colorful lessons for boys and girls of elementary school age. Also in l9h3, a new Senior Bible course was offered which more closely followed Elder Richards' preaching than the first course offered in l9h2. In quick succession foreign language courses were prepared for major language groups living in the United States. In l9h6, a course in Bible prophecwaas offered to Voice of Prophecy listeners‘with special emphasis being placed on the 83Interview'witfl a.e. s. Richards, March a, 1960. auForward in Faith, su, 55. 85Ibid. 83 Bible books Daniel and Revelation. In 1952, a revised Senior course, "The Faith Bible Course," took the place of the l9h3 Senior course in an attempt to relate the Bible to contemporary personal problems. In October of 195“, a correspondence course entitled, "Introductory Bible Lessons for Alcoholics," was offered. In January of 1958 a new and more attractive Junior Bible course called, "Bright Horizon," helped to increase junior enrollment.86 Each of the courses offered brought an increased enrollment in the voice of Prophecy Bible School. A large teaching staff administers the work of the Bible School. Trained Bible instructors read each examination sheet sent in by the enrollees of the various courses. Personal comment is made on the pro- gress shown in each lesson, and the enrollee is encouraged to listen in to Elder Richards' broadcast as a supplement to individual Bible study. When enrollees reach a certain place in their course where it seems advisable to send a Voice of Prophecy representative to visit, a letter is mailed to the Seventh-day Adventist pastor nearest the enrollee asking him personally to visit in the enrollee's home. The purpose of the representative's visit is to answer any questions the enrollee might have which are too involved for mail answers, also to invite the indi- vidual to attend the local Seventh-day’Adventist church. ‘When the en- rollee completes a course, he is sent an attractive diploma; and further effort is made on the part of the local pastor to encourage the graduate to become a Christian and if he wishes, a member of the Seventh-day Adventist church. I “Fact Sheet, 1960, a. - 8h Inferences A sumary review of the history of the Voice of Prophecy radio broadcast, as outlined in this chapter, suggests that the leadership and preaching of Elder B. M. S. Richards are the prime factors in ex- plaining the phenomenal growth of the broadcast from l9h2 to 1960. As an administrator Elder Richards has developed an organization which in 1960 employs a staff of 130. This trained staff carries on its work in a $225,000 physical plant which is fully modern. Growth is self-evident in a comparison of the present organization with that of 1929 when a staff of two did the paper work of the early broadcasts in a remodeled chicken house. Further evidence of the influence of Richards' leadership is the increase in the number of stations carrying the Voice of Prophecy broad- cast. Taking as his chief objective "preaching Christ to the millions," Elder Richards has sought each year of his radio ministry to increase the size of his listening audience by extending the Voice of Prophecy broadcast as far as this budget can possibly permit. Since 1929, station coverage for the broadcast has increased from one west coast station to 895 network and international stations in 1960. With this coverage the Voice of Prophecy program ranks second in the world in comparison with coverage of other religious broadcasts. The major portion of the Voice of Prophecy budget comes from the radio audience. Listener contributions since coast to coast broadcasting began in 191:2 have increased from $200,000‘to $950,000. Since there is no soliciting of funds). on the broadcast, it is significant that Voice of Prophecy listeners value the. program to the extent of such liberal giving. In terms of confidence in the leadership and preaching of Elder Richards 85 it is also significant that the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is willing to subsidize the Voice of Prophecy program to the extent of at least $60,000 each year. A steady flow of mail response to Elder Richards' radio preaching indicates substantial listener interest. With the exception of slight decreases in the amount of letter response in the United States between l9h8 and 1955, there has been an increase each year in the number of pieces of mail received at the Voice of Prophecy headquarters. While it is not within the scope of this study to consider the voice of Prophecy program as an international broadcast, it may be stated here that Elder Richards speaks on a number of voice of Prophecy broadcasts in English outside the United States and receives an average of 700,000 letters each year from overseas audience. Much of the letter response expresses appreciation for Richards' preaching, also confidence in him as a person. A more detailed analysis of mail response to the broad- cast will be undertaken in a succeeding chapter. It may be inferred that the success of the Voice of Prophecy Bible school in graduating an average of 15,000 students each year from l9h2 to 1960 is due largely to Elder Richards' radio preaching. In his sermons he makes constant use of the Bible; and in addition to regular announcements at the end of each broadcast, Richards suggests in his sermons that his listeners should take the Bible course. A final and more measureable inference regarding the voice of Prophecy broadcast is in terms of the official records of baptisms through Richards' years of coast to coast broadcasting. Approximately l,OOO persons are baptised each year, these people attributing their conversion and subsequent baptism to the preaching of Richards. CHAPTER III THE RHETORICAL THEORY OF H. M. S. RICHARDS In their work Speech Criticism, Thonssen and Baird suggest that the "practice, theory, and criticism of public address are closely in- terrelated," and that "each is the function and derivative of the others."1 Accepting this statement as having relevance in a critical study of the radio preaching of H. M. S. Richards, it is the purpose of this chapter to summarize Richards' theory of rhetoric for use in evaluating his rhetorical practice. Sources for Study of Richards' Rhetorical Theory The H. M. S. Richards Lectureship on Preaching.--In May of 1957, H. M. S. Richards was chosen to be the first speaker in a Lectureship on Preaching co-sponsored by the Department of Theology, Washington Fission- ary College, and the Columbia Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, in Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. The annual series was named in Richards' honor, "The H. M. S. Richards Lectureship on Preaching." During the lecture series Mr. Richards delivered nine lectures, each ninety minutes in length, in which he set forth his theory and philosOphy of communicating the Gospel. For his theme Richards chose "Feed My Sheep." Subjects covered were as follows: "What is PreachingP," "The Preacher Himself,” "Ordained to Preach," "We Preach Christ Crucified,“ Lester Thonssen and A. Craig Baird, Speech Criticism (New York: The Ronald Press Company, l9h8), p. 28. 87 "Feed My Sheep," "The Preacher Talks Back," "Reading To Preach," "80 Great a Cloud of Witnesses," and "The Tongue of Fire." In 1958 these lectures were published in book form under the title, Feed My Sheep, and serve as a primary reference work for the discussion in this chapter. More than 300 theology students, seminarians, and local church pastors from eight Middle Atlantic states and the District of Columbia attended the initial series. Roy Allan Anderson, Secretary of the Minis- terial Department of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, evaluates the series thus: The first H. M. S. Richards Lectureship marks a high point in the training and deve10pment of our ministers. It is twenty years overdue. We trust that when the lectures are put in book form they will help many more. During the lectureship period one was conscious of the fact that the instruction given was not from books, but from the rich experience of a lifetime of service as a preacher and a builder of Christ's church on earth. The messages leaped out of the heart of a great soul. 'The technical value, the fellowship, and the inspiration of the series will carry o¥er into a more fruitful ministry for every man who attended. Other sources.--In addition to Richards' lectures on preaching found in his work Feed My Sheep, a smaller work, Radio Manual, which he wrote in 1936 contains fragmentary statements of his rhetorical theory relating to radio preaching.. Taped interviews complete the sources for a study of Richards' theory. During these interviews Elder Richards was asked specific questions which were framed from con- texts found in traditional statements of rhetorical theory. Constituents of Richards' Rhetorical Theory Mr. Richards' discussion of rhetorical theory in his published material on preaching is so interspersed with.intended devotional and F 2voa'News, Vol. xv (July, 1957). 3- 88 inspirational thought it is difficult to discover any definite structure or progression. In order to facilitate use of the constituent state- ments which comprise his theory, it seems necessary to state them within a traditional structure, assigning labels from known works on speech theory. After some preliminary considerations of Richards' views of preaching with regard to definition, objectives, personal preparation, and audience analysis, the remainder of this section will be organized under applicable canons of rhetoric, viz., Invention, Arrangement, Style, and Delivery. Definition of "preaching".--Mr. Richards defines the term "preach- ing" more connotatively than operationally. Preaching is that speaking done through a man acting as an instrument of God. Preaching occurs when God uses a man to proclaim His word to the world. The Bible never says that God sent a message, rather He sent a messenger, a man named Isaiah, Jeremiah, John. God uses preachers as His mouths. In this sense preach- ing transcends other platform speaking, in that the speaker does not con- sider himself a source of truth but a channel.3 In a paraphrase of Phillips Brooks‘ definition of preaching as "truth through personality," Richards says: There are speakers today who interest peOple, who dazzle peOple with their oratorical fireworks; there are those who philosophize and propound speculations. But that is not preach- ing, because it is not a presentation of truth. It is merely the twistings and turnings and effervescence of the human mind True preaching always involves a personality and truth . . . . a In Richards' explanation of God's use of man's personality as an 3Interview with H. M. S. Richards, February 26, 1961, pp. 2, 3. Cited hereafter as Richards Interview, February 26, 1961. uH. M. S. Richards, Feed My Sheep, (Washington, D. C.: Review Herald Publishing Association, 1958). p. 13. 89 instrument for communicating truth the word "instrument" is qualified. Man is not a blind instrument, for although the Holy Spirit moves upon the instrument to speak the Word of God, the light of that word is strained through the glass of each preacher's personality, thus giving a different color to what is said.5 Richards finally defines preaching as "God's message from God's book by God's man in God's house on God's day."6 Objectives of_preaching.--Conceiving of preaching as the most important function of the Christian church Mr. Richards sets forth its chief objectives to be the conversion of sinners and the development of their Christian lives.7 More precisely, preaching is to change the heart of man through the power of God, which is exhibited through the preaching of His Word. The power is in God's word to change man and win the loyalty of his heart to God.8 These objectives are achieved through the preacher's concentration on the suasion ends of each sermon, which Richards sums up as: . . . convincing the judgment, kindling the imagination, moving the feelings, and giving such a powerful impulse to the will as to change the very quality of life--yes even the destiny of that life. Preparation for preaching.--Before the minister begins his pre- paration or his preaching, he must believe that he has been called to the ministry. Richards says: # 5Richards Interview, February 26, 1961, 2. 6Richards, Feed My Sheep, 15. 71bid., u7. 8Richards Interview, February 26, 1961, 3. 9Richards, Feed My Sheep, 26. 90 to be a true minister of God a man must believe that he has been called to the ministry. he ministry is a call- ing, not a mere profession. It is a vocation, not an evocation. It is a call, a summons, a commitment of life. The Bible makes it plain that it is God who calls and that this call is so vital that without the sense oflaompulsion that goes with it no minis- ter has a right to labor. A definite call to the ministry is known to the preacher in four ways. First the called man must feel a constant, deepening, inner pressure that God wants him to preach. Secondly, the called man must be able to convince others of his call by demonstrating in his life those spiritual qualifications befitting the high office he is to fill. Third, he must demonstrate his ability to teach and preach the gospel so as to bring about changes in the lives of his hearers. Fourth, his call must be recognized by the church to the extent they are willing to license and ordain him to preach.11 When the preacher accepts his call to the gospel ministry, it becomes necessary for him to prepare his life spiritually, morally, intellectually, and physically for the work he seeks to accomplish.12 Spiritually, the man must be a born-again, consecrated, convinced, and growing Christian. He must be a man who spends much time in prayer, 13 in meditation, and in studying the Scriptures Here Richards comments on the nature of the spiritual exercises needed for effective preaching: We must have spiritual food to feed the people, and that means more study of the Word of God. There must be more prayer in our lives. Our communion with the Lord must be unbroken. long-1g” p. 82. _ . 11Richards Interview, February 26, 1961, h-é. 12Richards,'Feed My Sheep, p. 307. 13 Ibid., p. 235. We must be spiritupa men or we will not have a spiritual in- fluence on others. The preacher must always take a definite and positive stand on moral issues since his public reputation is largely determined by his practice of Christian ethics. In preparation for standing firm for principle when issues arise, the preacher must avoid giving any im~ pression that he wishes to stand near the ragged edge of that which is not quite right. Further, he is to do nothing in his life which might be interpreted as having questionable motive. He must always give God the benefit of the doubt in his life and in his dealings with other persons. For the preacher's intellectual preparation it is imperative for him to be carefully educated, widely read, and if possible widely. traveled.16 The preacher is urged to take courses in logic, debate, and philosophy toward developing and sharpening his powers of reason. Logic is suggested as helpful in gaining the basic principles of reasoning and discovering ways to avoid fallacious argument. Debating is rec- ommended for exercise in applying the lessons of logic. Philosophy is neceSsary to the preacher to help him follow those trends of metaphysical thonght closely related to religion, also to make him aware of the 1imits of human thought which make necessary a revealing of deeper truths by c30d.” Reading from the Bible and biographies is especially empha- sized bw'Mr. Richards as needed in developing the inventive imagination. \ 1“Ibid., p. 226. 15Richards Interview, February 26, 1961, 6, 7. 16Richards, Feed My Sheep, p. 239. 17Richards Interview, February 26, 1961, 9. 18Richards Interview, April 10, 1960, 16. 92 A close study of human nature should complement the preacher's intellectual preparation. This may be done in part through reading biographies and works on psychology; but the first study of human nature, according to Richards, is people themselves: We must get close to people. We must meet people and talk with people. We must like to be with people. We must look upon them as a part of the great human family to which we belong. By conscious cultivation of feelings of sympathy toward people through contact and concern the preacher is better able to meet their . . 20 needs through his preaching. Physical preparation is as vital and important to preaching as spiritual and intellectual preparation. The preacher has no right to {Reach when he is physically unable to preach with.perceivable energy and enthusiasm. The instruction which Richards outlines to the preacher for maintaining physical fitness is simple and direct: First the preacher ought to find some diet on the advice of his doctor that can help him really feel well and strong. He should always cut down on his sugar intake, get plenty of protein that he can digest, drink plenty of water, and never eat between meals. Secondly, he must have plenty of sleep, even lying down in the middle of the day for a few minutes to let his heart and mind relax. Third, he should exercise every morning and walk at least two miles during the day to insure good cir- culation. Now if he will do these simple things, he will live a long time, he will be able to preach with greater power and do better work for the Lord and for humanity. In Elder Richards' estimation the general preparation for pulpit Preaching is also requisite for radio preaching but must be more inten- Sive. The intellectual preparation should be more intensive because the radio preacher attempts to reach a more varied audience than is found in the average church. The physical preparation should be carefully ‘___ 191bid., 10. 20Richards, Feed My Sheep, p. 239. 21Richards Interview, February 26, 1961, ll, 12. 93 planned and consistently done because so much about the radio preacher is known by his voice. If he maintains optimum health, his voice will be resonant, enthusiastic, comforting, and confident.22 The urgent note of appeal which seems to color Richards' counsel on the preacher's preparation is the appeal to continue intensive pre- paration all through their years of ministry, toward continued excell- ence. "At no time are the preachers to relax in their efforts to improve their ministry."23 The preacher and his audience.--Elder Richards' conception of audiences who listen to preachers appear to be assumptive and categor- ical. The assumption is made that man has a natural heart hunger to have the great questions "Where did I come from?" "Why am I here?" "Where am I going?" answered by competent preaching.2u The assumption is also made that there is something in each man which tells him that the principles of the gospel, which hold answers to life's problems, are true.25 These assumptions are based on the preacher's knowledge of himself. Richards says: The preacher can say to himself, 'I am a human being, and those in my audience are all human beings, therefore, whatever in general the response of my heart is, the response of their hearts will be! . . and you must trust the audience as being human beings. In general they are no worse or better than you are. Therefore. come to them as you come to yourself or would want someone to come to you. 22Ibid., 13. 23Richards, Feed My Sheep, p. 226. 2“Richards Interview, February 13, 1960, 8. 25Richards Interview, April 24, 1960, 7. 26Richards Interview, February 26, 1961, 13, 1a. 94 In his discussion of the people who listen to preaching, Mr. Richards makes no comment on those group dynamics generally believed to be operative in speech situations; rather he notes the individual differences between the various "families of listeners" which make up the average church congregation and those who listen to radio preaching. The first classification of auditors, a minority group, Richards calls the "heathen.” The individual "heathen" is identified as "any man who is not redeemed . . . whose heart cry after God remains unsatis- fied."27 Also in the minority listening group is the out and out "oppo- nent." He comes to the church or tunes in to the radio broadcast for the specific purpose of seeking information for future use in contra- dicting or criticising the doctrines of specific church groups.28 A third minority group is classified by Richards as the ”despairing." The preacher seldom knows who these are of if they are reached by his preaching because they seem to be a mute group.29 The next proportionate element is the "onlooker." Individuals in this classification are like balcony observers or dial twisters who look, listen briefly, and then go out a side door in the middle of the sermon or if listening to a radio preacher, will turn the dial to another station.30 The majority of those who listen to pulpit and radio preaching is made up, according to Richards, of the interested and the concerned. In.this larger category are the "seekers" who are looking for a deeper k 27Richards, Feed My Sheep, p. 163. 28Richards Interview, February 26, 1961, 1a. 291bid., 15. 301bid., 1n. 95 quality of life wherever it may be found; the "habitual churchgoers" who may be hard to reach because they think they are saints by virtue of their attendance record; and the "devout" who consider themselves a definite part of the church program and mission, and whose lives reflect the effects of the Christian gospel.31 Richards places all of his auditors on a spiritual intelligence continuum with the "spiritual illiterate" at one end and the "spiritual thinker” at the other end. Speakingtaf the ”spiritual illiterate," Richards says: We must remember that today we are living in a generation of spiritual illiterates, millions of whom know as little about the gospel, the Bible, the story of the Old and New Testaments, the facts of the life of Christ, and the plan of salvation, as 2 did the peOple of Asia Minor in the days of the apostle Paul. The "spiritual thinker" is described by Richards as the individual who is able to think as clearly, and is as acquainted with the Bible and world affairs, as the average preacher.33 In this group the college young person is especially mentioned because of his ability quickly to grasp argument, and because of his ready response when argument is . . 3 convxncing. The preacher's attitude toward those in his audience, regardless of the special classification given them, is to be one of acceptance and permissiveness. The heathen and the opponent alike are to be treated {as "honest in heart." The nominal Christian and the visitor from another f the sermon, a different approach is suggested by Mr. Richards. He says: When one begins the actual building of a sermon, he should shut himself up alone where he will not be distracted, then study his text, his passage, his topic. For the time being he should shut out all commentaries, the Bible dictionary, and religious encyclopedias. He should shut out all books of sermons and illus- trations, though he may be tempted to look at them. First of all, he should sit down with his subject before the Father in heaven and prayerfully meditate upon the text and passages of Scripture involved, compelling them to bring forth their riches. Alone and singlehanded, he should seek the full measure of meaning in the Word.“5 Other raw materials for sermon preparation which Mr. Richards ““Rienards, Feed My Sheep, pp. 307—334. “51bid., p. 343. 100 alludes to in his preaching theory are those to be drawn from such sources as systematic theology, sermons of great preachers, literature, church and secular history, philosophy, science, art, music, nature, and human experience. Ministers should build a small library of books in all of the aforementioned source areas. A special Bible study library should be built around the Bible to include commentaries, concordances, Bible atlases, and a Bible dictionary. In choosing other books, Richards places in order of importance and need denominational books, the sermons of pulpit masters like John Wesley. Works of the great literature of the human race should be collected and read, such as the works of Shakespeare, the Iliad and the Odyssey, and Pilgrim's Progress.“6 #7 It is also recommended that all of the poems of Browning be read. Other than.the reading of the Bible, the reading of biography should rate high in priority, because it is human history personalized. By reading biography, it is possible to understand the peOple and their times and to draw illustrations and parallels for sermons. Richards cites the Life of Samuel Johnson and the Life and Times of John Wesley as examples of the best in historical biography]+8 Richards suggests that in order to read as widely as possible, the minister should set apart certain hours of the day for reading and then be reading in several books continuously.“9 For effective use of material gained from study and reading it “61bid., p. 336. “71bid., p. 361. “BIpid.. pp. 340, 341. “91bid. Q at «~— \ - . . “.1 .v-‘t K 101 is imperative that the preacher set up a filing system. Material taken from the study of the Bible should be filed in folders arranged according to the books and chapters of the Bible. Material gleaned from general reading should be filed in a simple alphabetical file. Other notations and materials for future use can be made in the fly leaf of individual books or on file cards.SO For the development of the inventive powers of the mind which are requisite to sermon preparation it seems evident that Mr. Richards places [“ strong emphasis on the preacher's reading program, more especially the . reading of the Bible. While he advocates development through obser- vation and experience, he makes reading the chief source for acquiring .3 the general materials for preaching. Sermon Invention--Ethos.--Ethical proof is traditionally defined as that mode of persuasion which derives from the speaker's skill in revealing his character, in asserting his intelligence, and in adapting himself to his hearers. There is also agreement among rhetoricians that demonstration of these components may take place either inside or outside of the speech composition. According to Mr. Richards a degree of ethical appeal is conferred upon the preacher when he is called and ordained by his church. In Richards' thinking ordination is the highest honor that any human being can receive on this earth, an honor which should be recognized, under- stood, and protected by every Christian attitude, custom, habit, and doctrine. Assuming that the preacher's ordination will be honored by a congregation, it can also be assumed that the ethical persuasion inherent in the bestowed recognition will be of influence when persuasion is 5°Ibid., pp. 337, 338. 102 attempted from the pulpit.51 This bestowed ethical appeal is intensi- fied by the preacher's own deep conviction that he has been called by God; and he must therefore show himself to be a dedicated, a committed 52 man. For Richards the chief source of ethical persuasion available to the preacher and more powerful in persuasion than intelligence, com- petence, education, ability, or even ordination, is his inner spiritual [um experience. Richards comments: We may have recognition by the highest schools of earth and ordination at the hands of the church, but unless we have I something else, unless we have been born again--unless we have the witness of the Spirit in our hearts, we can never be true . preachers or bring3a message that will reach men's hearts with ' i} the power of God. ’ By "born again" Richards implies a spiritual experience which rwesults from the preacher's repentance or sorrow for sin, his confession (If personal sins committed against God and his fellow men, and surrender ‘t<> the will of God. By "witness of the Spirit" Richards affirms a (qtaality of life to follow the initial ”born again" experience which is Czkiaracterized by continued surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit lft>r the purpose of becoming a channel for God. The preacher is commissioned to preach.ccncerning the power of <3hristianity. If his life has been changed by the power of God, con- 54 viction of sin will come into the heart of his hearers. In consider- ation of his audience the converted minister will be able to preach from \ 'SlIbid., p. 116. 521bid., p. 140. 53Ibid., p. 20. 5“Ibid., pp. 180, 18l. 103 a full heart, believing that salvation and eternal destiny depend on his preaching.SS As a man of humble faith who sincerely believes what he teaches, such a preacher will be fearless in the cause of God, he will never be afraid of the face of man because he has looked into the face of God.56 The very tone of his voice, his look, his words will possess an irresis- tible power to move hearts and control minds.57 Through every sermon there must run a thread colored according to the dominating principle and experience of the man behind it and of the message he preaches.58 In speaking of the preacher's intelligence and competence, as related to ethical persuasion, Richards believes the listening congre- gation should be able to perceive from the sermon composition thoroughness of thought mixed with common sense, an expertness in the use of Scripture which enables the preacher to explain theological thought, a familiarity with the broad field of human knowledge and experience, a mastery of homiletics, and such evidence of preparation as will convince each hearer to give attention to that which is uttered from the pulpit.59 lCompetence as a speaker is evidenced by grace and ease in the pulpit, («arrect use of language, and the ability to hold interest and to persuade 6O izhe audience to accept propositions and to act on them. The characteristic good will necessary to gain the favor of an 55;ggg.. p. 243. 553339., p. 73. 57lbid.. p. 222. 583233.. p. 196. 59Richards Interview, April 10, 1960, ll. 6ORichards Interview, February 26, 1961, 19. 10+ audience are, according to Richards, warmth, courteousness, and pleasantness along with a manifest recognition of each listener as being equal.61 Mr. Richards agrees with Aristotle that ethical proof is the most effective mode of persuasion available to the speaker. He places part- icular emphasis on the necessity of the character component and tempers the whole with the statement, "in spite of all we study, and all we pray, and all we do, we will still be only partial preachers, imperfect preachers."62 Sermon Invention-~Logical Argument.--The logical facet of inven- tion may be defined as the rational demonstration of the integrity of 63 ideas used by a speaker in proposing courses of action. The basic constituents of logical proof are evidence and reasoning. Evidence is concerned with matters of fact and Opinion used as a basis for estab- lishing proof. Reasoning is the process of using evidence and prOpo- sitions to infer conclusions. Mr. Richards' notion of logos in the sermon includes the use and validity of some extra-biblical evidence but emphasizes the priority of Scriptural evidence for proving the Christian message. Richards asserts ‘that there is a message in Scripture "that is eternal, that is always ‘timely, and that fits the heart of man because it was made for the heart 64 <>f man by God who made man." Implied in this statement is the idea ‘:hat God's revealed message has within it intrinsic arguments which are 61Ibid. 62Richards, Feed My Sheep, p. 71. 63Thonssen and Baird, Speech Criticism. P. 331. 6“Richards, Feed My Sheep, p. 107. -_.--=_‘.. m.. <41 . E. 105 singularly adaptive to the human mind in whatever age the gospel is preached. The work of the preacher in his sermon preparation is to dis- cover and use as many of these authenticating arguments as possible, and to arrange them toward achieving maximum favorable response. Every ser- mon is to be considered an individual unit of persuasion. It must bear with it a conviction that grows out of a well-thought-out line of argu- ment based upon Scriptural authority and clearly stated facts.6S To augment the proof of texts taken from the Bible, the use of " “a! authoritative statements about Bible texts is necessary in persuasion. Interpretations of Scripture by recognized Bible scholars, the testimony of history on the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, chapters of the history ii of the Christian church, and the personal testimony of well-known people on the power of the Scriptures in the human life, are all mentioned by Richards as being in this category.66 Appeal to authorities in the areas of science appears to be the only other source of evidence Specifically mentioned by Mr. Richards in his statements on logos.67 However, it might be inferred from his sug- gestions of sources for finding inventive thought that he would not rule out the use of evidence from any reliable source. Elder Richards employs the rhetorical idiom to express his views can the inference of conclusions from evidence. Definition may serve as ‘the whole argument at times in that it serves clearly to state the issues éand to indicate the connotative meanings of certain abstract terms inherent k 55Ibid., 36. 66Richards Interview, February 26, 1961, 21. 671bid. in the Christian message.68 The use of both literal and figurative analogies which indicate cause and effect is suggested as helpful in . . . 69 defining some abstractions. Explanation includes narration, description, and exposition; and is urged as the most effective way to convince an audience of the clarity of an argument.70 Exposition is generally focussed on the implied mean- , 71 ings of sermon texts. Inference from sign correlation should be restricted to escha- tological arguments. The understanding of sign inference in this sense depends largely upon the spiritual condition of the hearer. Mr. Richards says: There is a place for argument for sign. Christ used it Himself. However, we must be careful in using it. Jesus said to the people of His day, "You see certain conditions of the clouds of the heavens and you say it is going to be fair weather tomorrow." "Oh you hypocrites, you can discern the signs of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times." There has to be something in a man's heart or he cannot see the signs of the times . . . in order to see the signs of the tiges a man needs a new heart, a new soul, a spiritual change inside. 2 The example and the sermon illustration are considered synonymous in Richards' rhetoric. The sermon illustration is auxiliary to the other forms of argument. The principles to be followed in choosing illustra- ‘tive material are few and simple: (1) study carefully the kinds of illus- flrations used by Christ and the apostle Paul in their ministry, (2) choose iLllustrations which are current and which will be easily understood, h 683239., 22. 693233.. 23, 24. 7ORichards Interview, February 28, 1960, 10. 71Richards Interview, February 26, 1961, 21. 721bid., 23. (3) draw most illustrations from those segments of human experience which will be familiar to any audience, and (4) avoid the use of illus- trations from fiction and those concocted in the imagination.73 Avoid the excessive use of illustrations, "they are to be like windows but we don't want to make a house all windows."7u Regarding tests for evidence and reasoning, the statements which indicate Mr. Richards' concern are fragmentary. The fact that he does not suggest any tests for evaluating evidence might be attributed to the priority he gives to Scriptural evidence in sermon argumentation and his unquestioning trust in its validity. The one principle he sets forth for testing reasoning is that the form of reasoning pass the test of universal validity. He comments: . . . before I would use reasoning in any form I would try to see if that reasoning was univerSally true. For example you might find something that sounds like an analogy under certain conditions, yet if you are not careful someone could attack the analogy by saying that its7§roposed similarities are not present under all conditions. . Where universal validity is not implicit or demonstrable, Mr. Richards advocates the use of explanation to show the degree of pro- bability of truth and the circumstances in which validity might be as- certained.76 On arrangement of argument in the sermon, Richards favors the 'use of an inductive sequence of those ideas which explain and support the main proposition of the sermon. The sequence may be stated either implicitly or explicity, but the arguments should be linked "as an iron ‘h; 73Ibid.. 24, 25. 74Richards, Feed My Sheep, p. 126. 7SRichards Interview, February 26, 1961, 25. 761bid. 108 chain which can never be broken.”77 The chain is strengthened if the strongest links come first. Richards says: Make your strong points of truth right at the beginning of your talk. This is a restless age. Bring your listeners face to face with the mighty facts immediately. Show proof after proof, evidence after evidence, text after text, like successive hammer blows. Illustrate, make your points clear, and while the people are still interested, sit down. What Richards advances on arrangement of argument in pulpit preaching he especially advocates for radio preaching. Argumentation rt in radio sermons must be brief, progressive, and to the point because i of the length of the sermon and the medium of communication.79 i In addition to precision and force, Mr. Richards urges clarity : as a requisite of persuasive argumentation. In emphasizing this quality, if he says, "Clarity is supreme . . . make what you say clear, make it clear, make it simple so the audience can see. Whey they can see then the Holy 80 Spirit can get them to accept." In order to achieve clarity, preachers must not try to be exhaustive in each sermon, they should make only a , 8 . . . few p0ints stand out. 1 The message is to be made so plain that a child 82 . . will understand. This means that the preacher should leave out of his sermon all matters that are not important and present only the great and simple truths which will decide the destiny of souls.83 g 77Richards Interview, March 12, 1960, 21. 78 Richards, Feed My Sheep, p. 236. 79 Richards Interview, February 26, 1961, 25. 8CRichards Interview, February 28, 1960, 10. 81Richards, Feed My Sheep, p. 131. 82Ibid., p. 129. 83ibid., p. 182. In conclusion, insight into Richards' conception of what the preacher's attitude* should be toward his audience in using argument is worthy of mention. First, he must assume that God has put in the' human heart an innate sense of right and wrong which may be appealed to by common sense argument.8u Secondly, he must keep in mind the fact that while audiences may be able to follow strong rock-bound argument, they are not always willing to do so;* and therefore, the preacher will be forced to make a number of simple statements about the gospel without using too much proof.85 Third, the preacher is advised to prepare the argument portion of his sermon so that it is "warm from the heart, with an earnest appeal."* This will take away the feeling an audience might have that the man in the pulpit is a lawyer stating his brief, rather 86 than a shepherd feeding his flock. Finally, the line of argument should be kept in the affirmative to communicate to the audience the 87 feeling that no case is too hopeless for God. Sermon Invention--Pathos.--The third mode of persuasion grouped under the general head "invention" is the pathetic or emotional mode, ‘Which is traditionally labeled "pathos." Because of the complexity of ‘the psychological aspect of the persuasion process, the pathos component <>f invention is difficult to isolate or define. For discussion here y 8“Richards Interview, February 26, 1961, 20 85Richards, Feed My Sheep, p. 170. 86Ibid., p. 36, 87Richards Interview, February 26, 1961, 21. *It is recognized that some of the attitudes and feelings usually ITelated to motivational appeals, or pathos, are here related to logical argument. Since Mr. Richards strongly emphasizes the above attitudes Earn feelings in connection with argument, they are left within their Q(antext . .‘I’m‘.-fl the term "pathos” is stipulated to mean that proof which "includes 110 all those materials and devices calculated to put the audience in a frame of mind suitable for the reception of the speaker's ideas."' That Mr. Richards recognizes the difference in function of logical and emotional appeal in persuasion seems evident from the lowing statement: True preaching must appeal to the heart or it will 80 h fol- never do anything with the head . . . . A preacher who appeals only to the reason will never get anywhere as far as shaking the world, not even from a worldly standpoint. Every preacher must have some way to appeal to peOple's hearts, as every great reformer has. We hear so much today about no emotion, and no feelings, but this is as wrong as it can be, completely wrong. As evidence of the existence of a "persuasion-conviction dualism" which seems to separate logical and emotional appeal, Mr. Richards asserts that: . . . the man who makes so much of the idea that the only appeal that ought to be made is the appeal to reason, himself made just like other men. The will to believe will cause him to believe what he wants to believeo He will be likely as others to rationalize it that way.“ is as According to Richards every sermon ought to be aimed toward getting men to act. It is the preacher's task to persuade the bearer to become not only willing to give mental assent to what is said from the pulpit, but willing also to do something about it. At this point in the persuasion process the use of emotional appeal takes priority. As Richards states, ”you may convince a man's mind that he ought to do a certain thing, but he will never do it unless you make him want to do 88Thonssen'and Baird, Speech Criticism, p. 358. 89 Richards Interview, January 21, 1960, 7. 90Richards, Feed My Sheep, p. 64. 111 it."91 Preachers are never to feel that it is a sign of weakness for them to appeal to the emotions.92 Emotions trigger the will.93 The motives to which appeals are to be made are classified as follows: (1) a sense of worship, respect, and reverence for God; (2) a sense of self-preservation toward fulfilling God's plan for the individual life as opposed to self-preservation from fear of punishment or hope of reward; (3) a sense of justice; (4) a sense of honor and reputation; and (S) a sense of love and righteousness.9u Richards recognizes the existence of other impelling motives such as power, self-assertion, social approval, etc., but recommends that appeals be constantly made to the highest motives possible. He illustrates: Say, for instance, you are preaching on temperance. Well you have a lot to say about this, how lung cancer is caused by tobacco, the dangers from drunk driving, etc., appealing to self-preservation on a lower plane. Then you step higher and tell him what will happen to his wife and family because of his intemperance. And then appealing still higher you show him how he is breaking a spiritual law and appeal to his desire for .victory because of his responsibility to God. Along the same line of thought of appealing to higher motives is the idea that sometimes it is necessary to appeal to lesser motives first in order to break down existing prejudices. When there is pre- judice or opposition which would militate against decision, it is to be nmliorated by using sermon material which appeals to the affections, sentiments, and tastes of men everywhere. If prejudiced persons can be 91Richards Interview, April 10, 1960, 10. 92Richards, Feed My Sheep, p. 65. 93Richards Interview, February 26, 1961, 26. guIbid. 951bid., 28. 112 appealed to in this way, they will be more amenable to deeper appeals for action.96 Often humor is used in an attempt to generate a kindly feeling. While he believes that humor may be an effective and ethical device, Richards cautions against the frequent use of humorous illus- trations or the use of humor to provoke laughter and nothing else. He feels that any use of humor which may be interpreted as foolish or ludicrous will hamper persuasion. Unless the humorous anecdote or play on words is used to drive home a moral or spiritual point, it should be left out.97 At the other end of the continuum between foolishness and ser- iousness Mr. Richards makes special mention of the element of pro- bationary time which should pervade appeals to self—preservation and personal responsibility. These appeals should be couched in serious words which suggest that the time of decision is always at the present moment.98 Emotional appeals should run all through the sermon and come to . a climax at the end in order to move as many hearers as possible. Some tnay make decisions early in the sermon. The emotional climax at the end (of the sermon serves to seal the decisions already made and may impel tzhe more reluctant toward decision.99 Any appeal to impelling motives must finally be augmented by (iirect suggestion. Speaking from his own experience, Richards remarks: "I have learned that I must beg an audience to come, plead with them to k 96Richards Interview, April 10, 1960, 12. 97Richards, Feed My Sheep, p. 126. 98 Richards Interview, March 12, 1960, 6. 99Richards Interview, February 26, 1961, 27. come, and finally command them to come forward in the name of the Lord."100 Sermon Structure—~Arrangement.-—Defined in its utilitarian sense, arrangement is an organizational means through which the ideas of a speech are made evident to the perceiving mind. Within its functional scope, arrangement embraces the emergence of a central theme, a method of idea arrangement, and the order in which the parts of the speech are developed.101 In his interpretation of sermon arrangement Mr. Richards mentions each of these aspects. The introduction must include material calculated to capture the interest of the bearer in the subject and to indicate the direction the discussion of the subject will take. The use of a startling statement, a well-known verse of Scripture, or an illustration is recommended for achieving initial interest.102 Then, in Richards' scheme of arrangement the text should follow to es- tablish authority for what is to be said. After this the theme sentence should be stated. The theme sentence reduces the meaning of the text car topic to a few words, preferably seven or eight, and never more than fEifteen. This sentence should contain the main thought that is to be ssupported all through the sermon. The purpose of the theme sentence ffor the preacher is to hold him to a definite theme, toIa definite idea, 110 a definite objective, thus helping him to gather pertinent information Ifor cogent argumentation. For the congregation the purpose of the theme sentence is to make the rest of the sermon easy to follow.103 ‘— 100Richards Interview, April 10, 1960, 8. 101Thonssen and Baird, Speech Criticism, p. 393. 102Richards Interview, February 26, 1961' 28° 103Riebards, Feed My Sheep, p. 132 1114 With regards to partition of subject matter, Richards declares that if sermon material cannot be discussed under several main points, something is wrong.10u This statement would suggest that Richards favors the distributive method of grouping related material under headings which give a general description of a common thought sequence. In this con- nection Richards also favors the threefold development of the theme, known traditionally as the tripartite method of thought arrangement in the body of the sermon.105 If the text of the sermon lends itself to a natural outline, then this outline should be used rather than an out— line synthesized from other inventive materials used in preparing the 106 sermon. To accomplish best the purpose of the distributive method, Richards suggests that (l) the main theme run as a thread throughout the entire sermon;107 (2) in discussing the theme, the preacher should marshal his material in facet form to throw light on theme from all directions;108 (3) the strongest points of argument should be placed ffirst;109 and (a) the sequence be built according to the way the mind 110 tzhinks, e.g., cause-effect, problem-solution, etc. Transitions from one part of the sermon to another may be ac- <:cmm1ished in numerous ways. It is permissible purposely to make an “ 104Richards Interview, March 12, 1960. 13- 105Richards Interview, April 10. 1960, 13- 'loeRichards Interview, February 26. 1961. 28- 107Richards, Feed My Sheep, p. 132. 108Richards, Interview, April 10, 1960, 13. 109Richards, Feed My Sheep. 9' 236' 110Richards Interview, February 28. 1950. 10- llS abrupt transition when the intent is to change the thought pattern of the audience from one phase of the subject to another with a statement the speaker wants the audience especially to remember in connection with the new material subsequently to be presented. Transitions should not be noticeable when the speaker's intent is to bring his audience to an inescapable conclusion. Here the audience is moved along quietly from one point to another, to discover at the end that it is surrounded and tied down by subtle argumentation. When the subject matter of the sermon is difficult to understand, it is necessary to make obvious transitions which are in essence brief summaries of what has already been said and which introduce the next part of the discussion.111 In concluding the sermon, the focus of arrangement is towards in- ducing belief and action. In a variety of ways two questions are to be implicit, (1) "What do these things mean?” and (2) "What are you going ‘to do about what has been urged in this sermon?"112 Of the various types of conclusions Mr. Richards advocates the Uiemhod of recapitulation and hortatory application as being the most <=cially scored as having no place in good preaching.123 Richards recog- xlizes that it is more difficult to use simple short words than long ones; 119Richards Interview, February 28, 1960, 10. 120Richards, Feed my_Sheep, p. 233, 121Ibid., p. uu3. 1221bid., p. 3u5. 123Ibid., p. uua. *4 VJ CD still he urges the preacher to use "short Anglo-Saxon words, especially eht ' C) D words similar to those used in the gospel of John such as '1i 1 'love,‘ 'law,’ 'hope,’ 'truth,' etc."124 In his Radio Manual Mr. Richards gives counsel on sentence struc- ture as it relates to achieving effective style in radio preaching. He says: As you have been admonished to leave out long words, you should also have a constant aim to have your sentence short. By this I do not mean that all sentences should be the same length, which would make your talk choppy; but if you expect to hold your listeners, you will not lead them into long, intricate, involved sentences. To do so merely invites them to leave you and they can do it so easily--just a turn of the dial, and you are off the air as far as they are concerned. Short sentences easily understood, and well-known words clothing thoughts within the limits of the mentality of your audience, will make for your success. A brief summary statement on Richards‘ theory of style is found in his epigrimmatic sentence on economy of style: "He who is saying .something will always say it best in the fewest words. When the nail - . . . "126 1.3 driven home, all after-hammering is superfluous. Although Richards emphasizes the value of a sermon style character- iL2:ed by clarity, energy, force, and beauty, he places ultimate emphasis <>r1 an intangible aspect of audience perception of style, viz., the in- f:ltience of the Spirit of God. He comments: The hearts of men today are as hard as adamant. The words of the preacher fall on them like down on the pavement. The only hope we have of influencing people . . . is in the promise that the Spirit of God will take our words and plant them in the hearts of the listeners. The power is not in us, 124Richards Interview, April 10, 1960, 14. 1251. M. S. Richards, Radio Manual (Washington D. C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, c. 1936), p. 20. 126Richards, Feed My Sheep, p. 132. not in any word of ours. If the Lord by His Spirit does not convince and convict, it will never be done.12 Sermon Delivery.-—In Mr. Richards' statements on sermon delivery attention is directed to (1) how sermon delivery is to be learned, (2) attitudes and actions which influence the effectiveness of sermon delivery, (3) the best method of delivery, (A) the use of the voice in delivery, and (5) the reading of Scripture as it relates to delivery. According to Mr. Richards, a preacher learns to preach by preaching. He must preach enough to make preaching second nature so that he stops thinking about how he is preaching and puts all of his effort into communicating the message he is giving.128 Richards also intimates that a man who recognizes the high calling of preaching will be careful about attitudes and actions which might de- tract from effective sermon delivery.129 He will recognize that the pulpit is a place for the ambassador of the most high God and therefore ‘will never attempt the role of actor or entertainer.130 In the pulpit lie will assume no posture, or use no gestures, which will detract from 'tzhe holiness of his message.131 As he preaches, he will assume no pious, £>énmonizing, scolding, or haranguing attitudes; rather he "takes the ‘Vlcmd of God and proclaims it in power and in love, with a holy fire in t“Lis soul and a zeal for the cause of God, without regard to consequence."l‘>2 ‘ 127Richards, Radio Manual, p. 20. 128Richards Interview, February 28, 1960. 11. 129Richards, Feed My Sheep, p. 134. 1303233,, pp. 125, 126. 1313212_’ p. 134, 1321bid., p. 25. 120 n answer to the homiletical question, "Vhich is the best method F! for delivering sermons?" Elder Richards acknowledges he advantages of reading from a prepared manuscript or repeating a memorized manuscript, but shows personal preference for the extemporaneous method. The fully written out sermon delivered from a manuscript or from memory will tend to be more accurate and generally shorter. The prepared manuscript may serve as a permanent record of research; it may be used for publication purposes, or the material may be used as inventive mat- . 133 erial for new sermons. Outweighing the advantages of reading or memoriter method of ser- mon delivery is the disadvantage of the threat to communication between the pulpit and the pew when the manuscript interferes as it often does. Richards says: Nine out of ten people are prejudiced against manuscript sermons. They do not keep the attention, and there is no other calling in which a man must have the attention and the hearts of the people more than in preaching.1°u Mr. Richards believes that preaching without notes is the best tnethod of sermon delivery because it frees the preacher from inhibitions . . . . . 135 Ennd puts him in rapport with the audience in a more natural way. SIDeaking without notes demands far more preparation than speaking from a lnanuscript or other notes. Because there is always the possibility tkuat:the preacher will forget some material which he intended to include, h‘3 therefore, must spend more time with the material than he would if t“3 ‘were relying on the manuscript. But Richards feels that even if some \ 133Ibid., p. 3&5. 13uIbid. 13sRichards IntervieW. February 26, 1961: 33. 121 material were forgotten, what is said without notes comes direct from the man to the people and will more vividly reveal the truth of the -. 136 V ‘_ ‘ ' R - i ° message. The use of notes is not condemned by Richards for ue is aware that not all preachers have the mental and emotional capacity for preaching extemporaneously. Also the radio preacher is compelled to read from a manuscript because the radio script must pass network scru- tiny and remain within specified time limits. However, every preacher is urged to keep working toward the time when he can speak without the . 37 . . . ‘Ld of notes. He gives the following challenge to preachers: You can't imagine Paul with a bunch of notes, or Christ, or Demosthenes, or Cicero, really you can't. Those men filled themselves and when they went out they were on fire. You must have a message so big that you don't have to carry around notes.138 In delivering the sermon, the preacher's voice indicates much of his personality and should therefore be free from any unnatural tone . . O . patterns such as the "theological whine."13’ The conversational tone is the most effective tone for sermon delivery, especially so in deliv- ering the radio sermon. The day of "halooing" and hollering has been ‘ o o . 1&0 replaced by the glorified conversational approach. Regarding diction, Richards warns preachers to avoid faulty diction 141 (Dr dropping the voice at the beginning and end of sentences. In speaking of stage fright or nervousness in,sermon delivery, 1361bid. 137Richards, Feed my Sheep, P- 345' 138Richards Interview, February 26, 1961, 33. 139Ibid.,-34. luoRichardS. Feed My Sheep, p. 133- 1MRichards Interview, February 26» 1961' 3h- Richards suggests that if it can be controlled, it will be helpful. In ’ ' a nervous man who learns to live with his pulpit palpitations "will be the best kind of preacher."142 On the use of the Scriptures as an integral part of sermon de- livery, Richards admonishes 1‘reachers to read their texts out of the Bible rather than quoting them from memory in order to establish a higher degree of authority for what is being spoken from the pulpit.143 When texts are read, they should be read carefully and distinctly. Reflected Parallelisms in Richards' Rhetorical Theory The rhetoric of H. M. S. Richards is not a new rhetoric. It appears to be an eclectic rhetoric. Early, foundational conceptions of rhetoric, as it applies to preaching, were gained by Richards through his association with his father and grandfather, both of whom were successful preachers. During his own formal training Richards studied in detail the first edition of _Ereparation and Delivery of Sermons by John A. Broadus, which is written from the traditional rhetorical point of view in that it draws chiefly .frcm the works of Aristotle, Cicero, Quintilian, and Uhatley. One other 'Volume is mentioned by Mr. Richards as being influential on his theory (bf rhetoric. In a speech course taken at Campion Academy he was required tlc>draw heavily from the text How to Speak in Public, by Grenville Kleiser, El new text in the speech field during Richards' academy years. In his own work Feed My Sheep Mr. Richards indicates some of the sNDurces he studied in preparing the lectures which contain his chief \ luZRichards, Feed My Sheep, p. 135. 1“3Ibid., p. 91. f0 L0 statement of theory. He says: . . . I have read everything in the Bible about preaching, as far as I know, and I believe I have read everything on the subject available in the published books of the Spirit of pro- n'p .. 1‘44 t'eLeLy o o o o I have read as many of the Yale lectures gs I could get hold of . . . and other books which I secured. J The following summary of parallelisms Mr. Richards' rhetorical theory is not intended to be exhaustive nor does it attempt to trace specific parallels to an original source. The purpose of the summary is to indicate possible influences which have been inferred from paral- lels in approach and language found in known rhetorical and homiletical works. Richards' stipulated definition of preaching is almost a para- phrase of Phillips Brooks definition, "truth through personality." His descriptive definition of preaching is derived extensively from the Bible. The ends of preaching, labeled by Richards as "convincing the judgment, kindling the imagination, moving the feelings," suggests the parallelism of Cicero, Augustine, and Whatley, but more particularly the influence of George Campbell, who specifies that the ends of preaching are "to enlighten the understanding, to please the imagination, to move the passions, and to influence the will." The influence of Henry Ward Beecher and Phillips Brooks through their Yale Lecture series seems evident in many of Mr. Richards' rhetor- ical statements. The first of these possible influences appears in his 14“The phrase "Spirit of prophecy" is attached to the writings of Ellen G. White, an author in the Seventh-day Adventist Church believed by the church to have been God's special messenger to the church. Spe- cifically Mr. Richards is referring to compilations of her statements on preaching which are found in the books Gospel Workers, Testimonies to lflnisters, and Evangelism. 145 Richards, Feed My Sheep, p. 11. 124 discussion of the preacher's call and his preparation for preaching. Beecher states, as does Richards, that the power to move men is one clear indication of a call to the ministry. Both Brooks and Beecher stress "personal piety" as a prime requisite for effective preaching, and this is reflected in Richards' emphasis on spiritual preparation for every preacher. The reading program alluded to by Brooks and Beecher, which includes history, philosophy, and literature, is found in Richards' statements. Beecher devotes an entire lecture to the preacher's health, and a number of the principles enumerated in this lecture are implicit in Richards' discussion of the same theme. Beecher stresses a study of human nature as part of preparation for the pulpit; and this too, is stressed by Richards. Inferred parallels on Mr. Richards' notion of invention as it relates to sermon preparation range from Aristotle to Ellen G. White. The influence of Brooks is noticeable in the emphasis Richards places on choosing doctrinal subjects. The Broadus influence on classification of subjects, as doctrinal, experiential, prophetical, etc., seems also apparent. In counseling the preachers not to go directly to commentaries or other reference works to study the sermon text, Richards echoes the counsel of Kleiser. The methods of textual exegesis advocated by Richards parallel those found in Broadus. The Aristotelian components of ethos, viz., intelligence, competence, and good will, are implicit in Richards' statements along with the shared conviction that ethical proof is the most effective mode of persuasion available to the speaker. For develop- ing ethos in the man apart from the sermon, Richards paraphrases from Ellen White the material relative to the development of a consistent Christian character. The Whatley--Broadus approach to logical argument 125 is consistently found in Richards' discussion of the use of evidence and reasoning in sermon preparation. This is especially noticeable in Mr. Richards' discussion of arrangement of argument, where he advocates, as does Broadus, the precedence of the strongest argument. This inti- mates that Richards belongs to the school of thought which believes in the adaptation of material to listeners. Richards is nearest to Blair in the distinction he makes between conviction and persuasion and the necessity of going farther than producing conviction. Along with Augustine, Richards insists on emotional appeals being part of every attempt to persuade. On the canon of arrangement, concepts of divisions and transitions in the sermon and the method of conclusion by recapitulation and appli- cation are to a degree traceable to Broadus. The statement "style is the man" is found in Richards' rhetoric, and likewise is quoted verbatim in Brooks, Beecher, and Broadus, who in turn are quoting Buffon. Richards is nearest to Beecher in his approach to style with regards to the use of "home-bred idioms" from the simple Anglo-Saxon language. The discussion on qualities of style follows that found in most treatises on rhetoric. Mr. Richards considers the traditional modes of'delivery, the use of the manuscript, from memory, and extempore. With Beecher and Brooks, he strongly urges the use of the extempore method. From this brief summary of reflected parallelisms it seems apparent that the influence of rhetoricians before the time of Campbell is hardly noticeable. The suggested influence of rhetoricians Campbell, Blair, Whatley, Beecher, Brooks, and Broadus is especially strong. The in- fluence of contemporary rhetoricians is not reflected to any appreciable degree. CHAPTER IV RICHARDS' RHETORICAL PRACTICE IN RELIGIOUS BROADCASTING The purpose of this chapter is to describe and analyze the radio preaching of H. N. S. Richards from 1942 through 1960. The chief em- phasis of the chapter is on those elements necessary for rhetorical criticism as found in the speaker, the audience, and the radio sermons. The organization of the chapter follows in general the conventional framework of rhetorical investigation: (1) Richards' general preparation for religious broadcasting, (2) Richards' preparation of radio sermons, and (3) an analysis of the rhetorical elements in Richards' radio preaching. Richards' General Preparation for Religious Broadcasting Prior_preparation by evangelistic preachine.--The evangelistic ministry of Mr. Richards prior to his full time radio ministry has been outlined in chronological detail in Chapter One. It is felt that something of his early methodology in sermon preparation, and his manner of delivery should be included here to indicate possible sources of preparation and delivery patterns which may appear in his present preaching. b Because his audiences were largely made up of persons who were not tmmbers of his own church communion, Elder Richards' early sermons were were in the form of polemical Bible studies. In these sermons he would take assertions concerning the doctrines of his church and then read a 127 text to prove the assertion, addin whatever other material he thought if might strengthen his argument. The assertions were phrased in terminology learned from his father's pulpit. These first sermons were outlined from Bible Readings For The Home Circle, a doctrinal handbook of the Seventh- day Adventist church; entire chapters from Uriah Smith's Daniel and the Revelation, 3 book on prophecy held in high esteem by Richards' church; S. A. Johnson's Bible Textbook, a textual reference book; 8. N. Haskell's handbook, a reference work; Adventist magazines such as Present Truth, Signs of the Times, and The Review and Herald; and the works of Ellen G. White, a woman believed to be God's special messenger to the Adventist church. From these books and magazines Richards also took arguments for additional support of his catechetical assertions.1 ' Illustrations gleaned from his father's preaching, from other preachers he heard each year at campmeeting and from a contemporary magazine entitled Current Anecdotes, were added to his sermons to secure -interest and attention. The best illustrations were saved for a note of appeal at the end of the sermon. Little by little Richards weaned himself from taking large portions of his sermons and outlines from other sources as he began to see the "vast and infinite source of sermons the Bible was in itself."3 Less and less were books of "canned" illustrations used as he read more history .and biography and observed more of his world about him-drawing from these Sources his "sermon windows." At his father's suggestion all of his sermon outlines and many of 1Richards Interview, bmrcy 12, 1960, 2-5. 21bid. 3Richards Interview, April 10, 1960, 3. H ’0 \1 his sermons were written out in long hand with soft lead pencil on yellow paper. Richards wrote his sermons in an attempt to gain clarity of argument and progressive movement from one thought sequence to another. This practice was continued all through his ministry until he began dic- tating his radio sermons.“ The outlines, and sometimes the entire ser- mons, were taken into the pulpit but were seldom used in delivery. Although he tried to keep his outlines simple, Richards discovered that he was giving too much material in one sermon. le was trying to prove too many things and was using too many texts. Gradually, however, he learned to take two or three texts and build his sermon around two or three simple points. In an interview in which Richards was asked to discuss his preach- ing methodology, prior to his radio ministry he made the following sum- mary statements using the framework of the traditional canons of Rhetoric: Invention Ethos: I never knowingly interjected material which would call attention to any ethical appeal I might have for I believe that God gives the preacher ethical authority as the Holy Spirit speaks through him. People recognize the voice of the Shepherd when he Speaks with the authority of the Word. Logos: I had only brief training in logic and argumentation and therefore tended to do more hortatory preaching. I always tried to reveal thought in logical sequence to fit the patterns of thought I sensed in my audiences. Pathos: I must confess that at times I have deliberately made audiences laugh and cry, but so far as I know I have never de- liberately bypassed a man's intellect in order to move him to an emotional decision only. I used pathos mainly to break down pre- judice and to get people to make decisions based on an intelligent grasp of the arguments presented. Arrangement _ I have never slavishly followed any particular method of outlining a sermon or arranging my material according to a predetermined plan of adaptation. I tried to take one great truth and throw “Richards Interview, March 12, 1960, ll. the searchlight of the Scriptures on all its different parts. Style Jesus said "Feed my sheep," not "Feed my giraffes." From earliest days I was taught and believed one should continuously try to use short Anglo-Saxon words, so it has been my life long endeavor to use short action and picture words. Delivery For years I had sore threats from misusing my voice in preaching. Finally I learned abdominal breathing and was able to speak at length without tiring. I practiced constantly to lower my voice. My preaching style was developed by watching and listening to one of our pioneer preachers, Raster G. B. Thompson. I did not try to imitate him, I did it without trying. He was a tall man about my size and what he did seemed to fit me perfectly. Also I was influenced considerably by the Chautaqua speakers I heard early in my ministry. As his interest and proficiency in preaching developed, Richards was dissatisfied to be merely an ecclesiastical lawyer defending the brief of his faith, and he decided to add a gospel appeal to his sermons by asking his listeners "to give their hearts to Christ and be reconciled to God.” As a result a new power seemed to come into his preaching. He says: I realized I had been missing something. I must not merely preach that Saturday is the Sabbath, but that the person listening should give his heart to Christ. Even today the im— pression of this is still on me. I sensed anew that I was preaching to peeple, preaching for a decision, and from the time to this I am appealing in all my sermons for peeple to accept Christ. Undergirding Mr. Richards' approach to the preaching which he did 0 1 «n his evangelistic work is the philOSOphy he held: that the Seventh-day Adventist church is not just another church. He explains: I think the thing that impressed me and gave impetus to my preaching more than anything else was that the Seventh-day Adventist church is not just another church organization. If SRiehards Interview, April 10, 1966, 8-18. 6Rfehards Interview, March 12, 1960, 6. . (‘1 ‘C. U h, I don't if the s a world dicted in the Bible, and I am a part of that, then t puts something into you to preach. You are willing thing, to go out with something in you that compels ay, 'There is something about him that is authoritative, in something.'7 t is all it is, and we think Saturday is the Sab ‘ g in it to stir me to make sacrifices. sts as a fulfillment of prOphecy, and thi e r? rt U) (DO Po people to 3‘ (D U‘ 0 H r" (o < (a (n (A Library and files.--In the volume Feed My Sheep, which contains many of Mr. Richards' conceptions of preaching, he makes the following comment: A minister should love books and know books. He may not have many of them, but he should have some. Every minister should start to build a small library. There is nothing like owning some books of your own, marking them, reading them, loving them. A survey of Richards' personal library suggests that he practices what he preaches. The first volume in his collection was The Fall of Granada by Washington Irving--the first book he read after learning to read. The accession of books in his library has grown to approximately 6,000. lbst of these books have been purchased out of a modest ministerial salary; a number have been gifts from churches, friends, and radio lis- teners. When his father, h. M. J. Richards died, Mr. Richards received about 1,000 volumes for his collection, among them a number of rare vol- Umes from the pens of Adventist writers dating back to the early history of the Seventh-day Adventist church. For years he housed his library in one side of the family garage. Ir11955 the members of his radio quartette, under the supervision of a 'C<>ntractor, built him a small but spacious new library with twelve rows ¥ Ibid., 7, 8. 8Richards, Feed My Sheep, p. 336. of bookshelves ranging from seven to twenty-one feet in length, and seven feet high. The library is furnished with a chaise lounge, a rocking chair, a large desk and office chair. It is in this setting that Mr. Richards does the study and creative work relative to his radio and correlate ministry. A brief survey of the books in Mr. Richards' library indicates something of the sources from which he draws inventive thought for his sermons. The section on biography is large and includes works on the lives of a variety of men and women. The biographies are mainly those of preachers, presidents, and literary masters. Among the biographies of pre'ohers the largest collections are those on Martin Luther, John Wesley, and Dwight L. Moody. Biographies of Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, and Herbert Hoover stand out in the presidential biography section. Works on the lives of two women, Helen Keller, and Amy Semple MacPherson are prominent in the biography section on women. A look at other bio- braphy titles reveals such names as Beecher, Brooks, Carlyle, Muller, Chesterton, Jonathan Edwards, Hitler, Adoniram Judson, Savanarola, Vhitfield, and Dickens. 0n the shelves directly in front and in back of his desk Richards keeps his Bibles and the books which are his tools for studying the 13ib1e. All of the known versions of the Bible, including the Syriac \Iersion and the Emphatic Diaglott, are near at hand along with five copies C>f the King James version. The extra copies of the King James version Eire those which are worn threadbare but which have many notations con- Stantly needed and therefore are retained. In addition to the various ‘"3rsions of the Bible, all of the works of Ellen G. White are present, along with the books on the Bible written by authors in his own denom- k, ination, past and present. Further to aid in his study of the Scriptures q there are within reach eight Bible dictionaries; the Internationhl Bible Encyclopedia; two Concordances, Young's Analytical and strong's Exhaustive; two Bible Atlases; fourteen sets of Conmentaries which in— clude the Seventh-day Adventist commentary, the Interpreter's Bible, commentaries by Barnes, Henry, Clarke, Lange, Calvin, Fausset and Brown, Butler, the Pulpit commentary, the Expositor's commentary, NcClaren, and People's commentary. For help in composing his sermons Mr. Richards keeps near him several volumes of quotation handbooks, the Rodale Word Finder, the Oxford and Webster dictionaries, and some books of synonyms. Next in proximity to Richards' study desk are books about the Bible, books of sermons, and books of illustrations. The books about the Bible range in variety from one or two volumes on Bible questions and answers to sixty volumes on Archaeology. ‘The books of sermons are those of Henry Ward Beecher, Harry Emerson Fosdick, J. H. Jowett, Clovis Chappell, Alexander Talmadge, John Wesley, Joseph Parker, and a complete set of sermons given by Walter Eaier, late radio speaker on the Lutheran Hour. With these books there are specific volumes on books of the Old and New Testament with a majority in the collection on Daniel, Ilevelation, the Gospels, and the letters of Paul. Among the other books twalated to the Bible are several volumes on science and the Bible which ciiscuss evolution and astronomy. There are five shelves of books of iIllustrations. Next in the arrangement of the library are the books on Philosophy, (3PUJrch History, and Theology. here are twenty-two volumes on Philoso:hy, including the works of both cascern and western jhiloso;hers. The the church fathers are in evieence, along with the Cu works of Origen an well known works of Latourette, Neander, and Kewman on church history. Outlines of Theology by Pope, oneld, and Hodge along with individual works on soteriology, pheumatology, Christology, and eschatology make up th. theology collection. Another section of the library is devoted to evangelism and the art of preaching. This section includes treatises on evangelism by 3 American evangelists Charles Finney, Sam Jones, R. A. Torrey, and Billy Graham. Dargan's History of Preaching and “eboer's History of Preaching show much use. The homiletical works of Phillips Brooks, # John Broadus David Breed, and Bishop Quayle stand out in the works on In a remote section of the library are found works, pro and con, on the major religions of the world. Host of the volumes in this section are on Catholicism, Christian Science, K rmonism, and Methodism. The study of Normonism has been a hobby of Hr. Richards for forty years, and his collection of books written on Normon doctrines and beliefs is com- plete. The remainder of the library is devoted to books on secular history, language, speech, and literature. Berinning with the work cf ‘Vergil, the history section includes the works of Plutarch, Josephus, f“ \ i>pengler, Ridpath, Durant, Churchill, and lesser known historians. Eku Richards uses two Biblical languages in his study of Scripture, viz., (Ereek and Hebrew, and has collected Lexicons, grammars, and other language helps in limited numbers. The collection of books on Rhetoric and Speech are rather sparse and only a few of the volumes are significant. Phillip s .V. L ' -..‘_., ,. j, '7‘ a. .. v .1. : .. v - -. UCCH, {\lliLbcr'o Low to EU 9.3L in Phalic, and ..:)oott S " L ' c h ' . " I" ‘ . "\ ‘ ’ ‘ 7V1 ,‘ ' 1.. ”V , - ‘t 57' ' " zandaoos oi Broadcasting are the important VOLUMES. “neerstn s Traih.tw V the Speaking Voice, Painter's Ea.e in speech, Griffith et. al. Your I Speech, and Lamar's how To Speak the Written word, are among the lesser known works. There is one, little worn, volume on elocution, natural Gestures and Postures, by Al Casetta. Emphasis in the literature section is on English literature. Volumes of poetry dominate the section, but include a complete set of the Harvard Classics. Inside the covers of the books which Richards has read are ref- erences to pages which might be useful as background material. For example, in a volume on the life of Luther is found the statement: "this book is especially good in the section on Luther's conversion." In some books the day and hour a book is completed is noted. Frequently the notation "ser", is found to indicate an idea for a sermon. In the periodical section of the library, located in the workroom, may be found twenty-two periodicals mostly on religion and mostly from his own denomination. In addition to these, Mr. Richards reads and terature, r’- clips, but does not keep, issues of The‘Saturday Review of l :jre, Life, and Science Digest. Besides his own library. a library of 3,000 volumes is maintained at the Voice of Prophecy headquarters for Er. Richards' use. Here he iias access to ninety periodicals and numerous reference works such as the .Efigcyclopedia Britannica. The services of the Voice of Prophecy librarian eare also available to Mr. Richards. Almost as soon as he began reading Mr. Richards began a simple a1phabetical filing system and kept it in a large, wooden packi.g box. f les take up five letter file cabinets with five drawers rr t—Jo TJ' ‘*18 presen y—l LO Ln in each file. The extent of their subj:ct matter is indicated in Appendixn 212 follow them. In a sermon on the subject of the ”Millenium," Richards announced the title of the sermon, gave a brief historical background of beliefs held concerning the doctrine, and then stated this prOposition: We expect to show that at the second advent of Christ the resurrection of the righteous dead will take place, and that at the end of the millenium the second resurrection, the resur- rection of the lost, will occur. This, of course, precludes a general resurrection of all men at one instant. A thousand years are to intervene between the resurrection of the righteous and the resurrection of the wicked. At times Mr. Richards uses a definition to introduce his subject, wording it to serve also as a proposition. As an example, he defines ”salvation" by saying: ”In a word salvation.is the whole process by which Christ rescues us from sin and restores in us the image of God, and sets us free to work for Him."2“o In the body of the sermon following this introduction he expands each topical phrase.' Introductions by Scripture The abounding use of Scripture evidence in Richards' sermons would suggest that Bible texts might be freely used as introductions. This is not the case, however, for the textual introduction appears infrequently. For example, a sermon on "Love, Courtship, and Marriage," given in September, l9h2 begins abruptly: "Turning to Genesis 2:19 we read, 'The Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make an helpmeet for him."'2ul "‘In introducing some Of his sermons with a text, Richards invites his listeners to read the text along with him: "Our subject is ‘Christ 239Radio Sermon preached March 1, l9h2. 2“oRadio Sermon preached February 13, 1955. zulRadio Sermon preached September 20, l9h2. 213 and the Seventy Weeks.’ We ask you to read with us Phillipians 2:5-9."2“2 Following the reading of this text, he gives some explanation of the text as it relates to the context and to his subject as a whole. Other Scriptural introductions begin*with phrases like, "Our text today . . . ."243 "Our 'Unsparing God' sermon needs a text . . ."zuu "let us repeat the most familiar text in the New Testament, John 3:16 . . . 3‘2“5 and, "First of all we shall open our Bibles to the Book of Hebrews . "2146 Richards' use of the textual introduction is noticeable in con- nection with the sermon outline which follows it. Generally, when he uses an initial text to introduce a sermon, the sermon outline which follows is taken from the introductory text. Introduction by question The use of personal questions or a series of questions to intro- duce sermons is quite noticeable. When Richards first began broad- casting, he would sometimes begin a sermon by the question, "Are you listening?” Later some of his introductory questions relate to personal experience assumed to be common in his audience. In one sermon he poses the question, "What is the most unforgettable experience of your childhood?"2“7 Using the question method in still another way, he zquadio Sermon preached September 5, 1943. 2m’Radio Sermon preached April 13, 1947. 2““Radio Sermon preached February 11, 1951. zusRadio Sermon preached August 10, 1953. 2“Radio Sermon preached October 19, 1953. 2‘"Radio Sermon preached December 22, l9h6. 21a identifies himself with his audience in a sermon on the subject of death by asking at the beginning of his sermon, "Where do we go from By using a series of questions, Richards sometimes gives direction to his arguments and at the same time seeks to involve his audience in thinking about questions which vitally concern them. He asks the fol- lowing questions in introducing a sermon in which he attempts to explain the problem of evil: "Why do things go wrong? Why is there trouble in the world? Why is there pain? Why is there death?"2l"9 In another series of questions used for an introduction, the appeal is to the im- pelling motive of reputation: "Are you satisfied? Do you despise others whom you consider worse than yourself? Do you feel that you are above others, and in this way seek to justify yourself? Do you trust in yourself as youare?"250 ' There is some evidence suggesting that when the title of the radio sermon is framed as a question, the introduction begins with a question or series of questions. Introduction by illustration and descriptive narrative A significant number of Mr. Richards' radio sermons are intro- duced by illustrations and descriptive narratives which have been drawn primarily from the Bible, history, life's experiences, and from nature. Typical introductions in this group come from such situations as mission experiences on Pitcairn Island, the Bible story of the "rich young ruler,” zuaRadio Sermon preached September 10, 1950 2“9Radio Sermon preached April 25, 1951:. 250Radio Sermon preached November 13, 1960. I __......ea——..--- wwvmnq 215 why people go to fortune teller, conversion experiences, astute obser- vances of little children, descriptions of St. John's Aegean Patmos, and of Solomon's Temple, pathetic stories of boys in prison and of families at Christmas time, experiences from Richards' boyhood, and narratives about English and Scottish kings. The largest number of the illustrations come from Scripture and life‘s experiences. Miscellaneous types of introductions rufi Among the miscellaneous types of sermon introductions which Mr. Richards uses are those which refer to previous sermons, particularly I if the introduced sermon is in a series. At other times he refers to the mail response or to some phase of the Bible correspondence work. 9’ Also he frequently uses a quotation from some book, poem, or hymn to be- gin a sermon, and on rare occasions he begins a sermon by a prayer of by asking the audience to repeat the Lord's prayer with him. Arrangement of materials within the sermon discussion.--From an examination of the sermon materials immediately following the introduction, it appears that Richards gives first attention either to stating the sub- ject more clearly by prOposition or explanation, to defining any terms which may block communication, to giving historical background to the subject, to discussing the context of the sermon text, to giving a syn- opsis of a Scripture narrative (if the sermon centers in one), to the calling of attention to specific phrases in a text which are to be dis- cussed, to-raising questions which will be subsequently answered, or to indication of personal conviction on the topic under discussion. These first paragraphs before the main discussion vary with the nature of the sermon subject, but in each approach the intent seems to be to prepare 216 the hearer's mind for the elaboration and proof to follow; and if pos- sible obtain favorable predisposition for acceptance. Since the bulk of Richards' proof is that based on Scriptural authority, the entire pattern of elaboration and further proof centers in the profuse quotation of Scripture. The first division and subsequent divisions of the discussion are usually announced or intimated by either a question or a declarative sentence, then there begins a series of texts preceded and followed by sentences of explanation, exposition, illus- tration, and other modes of argument. The usual pattern which Richards follows is to“make an assertion or generalization and then follow it with a text or series of texts and then elaborate and give further proof. Usually the supporting arguments are identified by a tOpical sentence. At times each segment of proof and elaboration is concluded with one final text. Elaboration is accomplished by amplification chiefly through repetition, contrast, comparison, and example. Logical proof dominates each part of the discussion, but motive appeals are woven into the state- ments of elaboration. Transitions between the divisions of discussion are effected in sundry ways. A statement of the division heading prefaced by the tra- ditional "firstly, secondly, thirdly" is one of the most noticeable methods of transition. Other transitions are made with such phrases as: ”First we learned . . . now we come to . . . .;" "Just a worn now about . . . .;" "Here is another point . . . .;” "The next reason why . . . .;" "We must pass quickly now to the second point;” or, "Now in a few words." It must be pointed out that is some sermons there is no clear indication Of transitions; and when this is the case, the line of argument is dif- ficult to follow. ‘ RV". ’In “I" L'. ~.-—L—-‘.lfla‘m I 2l7 The order of arguments varies according to the method of out- lining. When the deductive-inductive outline is used, the strongest inductive arguments are placed near the first part of the discussion and are accompanied by the most obvious "proof texts.” When the in- ductive-deductive outline is used, the arguments build toward a climax to indicate an inescapable conclusion. Because the inductive-deductive method is the one most frequently used, an example of the climactic development of argument is stated by way of illustration. In his sermon "Will We Ever Have A New Religion?" he seeks to prove that Christianity is the only true religion because Christ is the only true Saviour. In the third division of his sermon dealing with the crucifixion of Christ, Richards is making the point that Christ had to die--because there is no other way for man to find forgiveness except that one of the Godhead pay the penalty. His argument follows: There are three ways in which God could have dealt with the great crisis of the fall of man: 1. He could cancel the penalty for sin by abolishing His 2. szcould let man perish for his Sin. 3 . He could accept a substitute to suffer the penalty of death in man's place, and thus permit man to live. BUT-- 1. God could not cancel the penalty by abolishing His law, because if He did that, it would make His government a failure. 2. God's love would not permit man to perish. THEREFORE-- 3. The third alternative was necessary - a substitute must take man's place, and die in his stead. THE CROSS was THE ONLY answss TO THE WORLD'S GREAT NEED.251 There appears to be no set number of divisions in the sermon dis- «cussions, as the number varies between two and seven. ’Neither is there 251Radio Sermon preached March 3. 191‘2- QJOI fl‘ ' F 218 uniformity in the number of arguments in each division. Richards' choice of the number of divisions and arguments within each division seems to be dictated by the nature of his subject and the importance he ascribes to each line of argumentation. Doctrinal subjects have the greatest number of divisions and arguments, whereas devotional subjects have the fewest. At the close of the discussion there is generally a summary which {is begins with phrases like: "And so we see . . . .;" or "And so it is . . . ." . The main application and appeal follows without further transition. Or, 3 i in the absence of a summary the appeal follows transitional phrases like: i "In view of this . . . .;" or, ”Therefore let us . . . .” g} Richards' sermon conclusions.--As background for examining Richards' sermon conclusions the functions of the conclusion are considered. According to A. Craig Baird, it is the express function of the conclusion to mark the climax of the speech, establish the grounds for accepting the argument, and give the audience a final impression of the speech and speaker.252 To these functions the homiletician Broadus adds two others: suggesting ways and means for performing duties urged, and persuading in the sense of moral and spiritual appeal for right response.253 Among the most frequently used methods used by Mr. Richards for developing the conclusions of his sermons to achieve the stipulated functions already stated are (1) the use of a direct question or series of questions, (2) the direct appeal, (3) hortatory conclusion of en— couragement and warning, (a) an illustration, (5) the devotional con- clusion, and (6) a combination of the other methods. 25zBaird, Argumentation and Debate, p. 199. 253Broadus, Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, p. 211. 219 The Question Conclusion While Richards uses questions throughout his sermons, they are mainly found in his conclusions. The questions are short, very per- sonal, and direct. Seldom do the conclusions consist of one question only. If one question is asked, it usually follows an illustration or a direct appeal. Rather, the questions come in a series as illustrated in the conclusion of a sermon preached March 30, 1958 on the subject 3““ of ”obedience." He asks these questions: é What excuse will you give, what excuse will I give, if f we fail to walk in the light, if we do not obey the truth which ; we see clearly and know to be right . . . ? Really, friend, it i is a fact that if any one of us is lost, it will be our own ‘, fault, not God's. L} If you see His truth, why do you not obey it? The light * is shining upon you. Why not walk in the light as He is in the light? . . . Are you troubled and remorseful? Have you come to the place where you think life is not worth living? Then why not try Christ's way? Why not obey Him?25u The Direct-Appeal Conclusion The direct-appeal conclusion is used in sermons directed to specific individuals, like fathers, mothers, children, backsliders, Christians, or preachers. Thus he appeals to backsliders, boys and girls, and husbands and wives in a sermon on the second coming of Christ: Are you a backslider? Oh, that God would help me say some word to your poor unsatisfied heart: . . . Return to God, and to your first love, and be ready! Boys and girls, you need to be ready too. Husbands and wives, make everything right that may have separated you. You can't afford to let bitterness come into your lives now--it is too late! zsuRadio Sermon preached March 20, 1958. 255Radio Sermon preached February 15, l9h2. "‘ 220 The Hortatory Conclusion Mr. Richards' concluding exhortations are, as a rule, specific and related to the subject which has been treated. They are character- ized by the personal pronouns ”we" and ”us.” Numerous sentences are found which read like this: "Let us not in setting ourselves up to judge, try to take His place;"256 "Let us therefore proclaim the story of the cross of Christ to all the wide world that all may know its seven-fold blessing to earth's remotest bound;"257 or "Oh, friend, may God help us to respond to the love of our Saviour who died for us.”258 f The Illustration Conclusion When Richards uses an illustration to conclude his sermons, the illustration isyusually packed with emotive words relating to home, family, God, conversion, life, and death. The single illustration is usually several paragraphs in length and includes a number of vivid details, all moving to a dramatic climax. In other conclusions a number of short illustrations are used in string-of-beads fashion with an appeal at the end of the last illus- tration.259 Typical of concluding illustrations is this one taken from a sermon on the subject of "repentance:" A certain clergyman kept an account of the sick peOple he had visited during a period of twenty years. His parish was a thickly populated one and he had a record of over two thousand people in fear of death who gave evidence of a change of heart 2S6Radio Sermon preached December 10, 1950. 257Radio Sermon preached Apri1 1“. 19u5- 258Radio Sermon preached June 10, 1951. 259Radio Sermon preached October 1“, 1945. 221 and who seemed to have repented. Of these two thousand who evidently were at the point of death when they professed their faith and later recovered, only two proved that their repentance was sincere and their conversion genuine. Think of it--only two continued to live for God, while 1,998 returned to their former carelessness and sinful ways: Their apparent repentance sprang only from the rack of conscience and the fear of approaching death. . . . Are you sincere in your repentance?260 The Devotional Conclusion In the sermons where the theme appears to be designed to heighten faith and belief in the minds of radio audience, Richards will frequently conclude with a Bible text, poem, or quoted stanza of a hymn of a devotional nature. Many of the Bible texts are taken from the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament. If a hymn is quoted, it is usually the hymn to be sung immediately following Richards' sermon. Frequently he will quote one of his own poems in summing up a devotional subject. Speaking on "salvation," he concluded his sermon with his poem: Yes, we may go in-- By faith, go in the beautiful gates-~today, Redeemed from all the power of sin And every wicked way. We will go in-- By faith, go in--of every race and nation, To see our Lord who died one day Tb bring a great salvation.261 The Combination Conclusion By far the most common type of conclusion found in Mr. Richards' sermons is the conclusion by a combination of the methods already dis- cussed. In one of his;earlier sermons answering the question "What and Where is Heaven?” Richards moves through his conclusion with a paragraph 260Radio Sermon preached November 13, 1960. 261Radio Sermon preached January 2“. 19u3- i. 1“ 222 describing heaven, a poem on heaven's joys, a statement from Scripture on how to reach heaven through acceptance of Christ, two questions: "Have you accepted Christ? Is He your Saviour?”, and the exhortation: May God help you to make your decision for Christ tonight!262 In a later sermon preached on July 25, 1960, Richards ended his message on "God's Eternal Purpose" with a recapitulation of the main discussion, a Bible text, a quotation from a contemporary preacher, a .-v series of questions, and a direct suggestion. The entire conclusion [M reads as follows: God gives us everything. He offers salvation free to # everybody. He lightens every man. He gives faith to everyone, ' so that all may believe. He gives grace to all. He gives re- E; pentance and forgiveness of sin to all--all who will have it. ' He gave Christ for all, that all might not perish, but have everlasting life. It's all a gift. It's all free. It is God's eternal purpose that righteousness will finally be established in the earth. That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.’ Ephesians 1:10, 11. One of our greatest modern preachers once said, 'He who chooses the beginning of the road, chooses the place it leads to.’ Will you not permit God's eternal purpose to be fulfilled in you? There is no doubt about His havin chosen you. Have you chosen Christ? If not, why not do it now? 63 - Specimensanalysis In order more clearly to illustrate the nature of the arrangement found in Mr. Richards' sermons, a specimen analysis of this rhetorical constituent is included here from the sermon "Is The Cross Outmoded?"2‘5’4 X The sermon is introduced briefly with these words: 262Radio Sermon preached March 22, 19h2. 263Radio Sermon preached September 25, 1960. 26“Radio Sermon preached October 10, 1954. 223 Before we read our text listen to these words written by a very well-known Christian writer: 'The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light that streams from the cross of Calvary. I present before you the great, grand monument of mercy and regeneration, salvation and redemption--the Son of God uplifted on the cross. This is to be the foundation of every discourse given by our ministers.’ The opening sentence of the introduction is rather abrupt. The quotation is from Ellen G. White, Adventist author, and is quoted without reference to source other than ”a very well-known Christian writer." ”The last sentence of the quotation "This is to be the found- ation of every discourse given by our ministers," carries with it a degree of implied ethical appeal in that Richards is about to preach on the great subject of the cross and thus is conforming to the best pul- pit tradition. The introduction also sets forth the theme of the sermon, a theme which weaves its way into all parts of the discourse. After the introduction Richards makes a brief explanation of what he means by "the cross” and then states the case and the proposition. He does this by first raising the question "Is the cross outmoded?" and then answering it with two hypothetical syllogisms: "If it is, then all other Bible truths are outmoded too because they are connected with it;” and, "If the cross is outmoded, then my ministry is also outmoded . . . . Every doctrine that we have preached has been in the light of the cross. After this the proposition appears as follows: The cross is the pledge of the return of Christ, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then we can believe that He is coming back to earth; . . . Our faith in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is the cause of our expec- tation of His coming. How could the cross be outmoded when our salvation depends upon it, and when the second coming of Christ and His kingdom of glory depend upon it? _gir ”1.;- «wL-er «A- "L, 22h The logical method of outlining this sermon is deductive-inductive by the use of questions and answers. The following outline is clear in the sermon manuscript: I. What is the significance of the cross for God? A. First, it's the evidence of the love of God, the supreme evidence. B. Secondly, it's the greatest evidence of the righteousness of God. C. Thirdly, the cross is significant for God because it ~ multiplies 'the riches of God.' [. 11.. What is the significance of the cross for Christ? fA. First of all, it's His acknowledgment of the authority of God. B. Secondly, it shows perfection of faith in God . . . . C. In the third place, it shows Christ's willingness to fulfill the good pleasure of God . . . . 'D. Fourth, the cross is a basis of the eternal love of the Father to the Son. E. Fifth, concerning Christ personally, the cross is the way of transfiguration from His position of love and power to that of victor. F. Sixth, only by the cross could our Saviour become the Captain of our salvation . . . . G. Seventh, the cross is a revelation and expression of the love of Jesus. _. ”.A.._._se .— _ III. What is the meaning of the cross for us? A. Justification, the putting of our past in order before God. B. Sanctification, our present living in righteousness for Him. Coming next to the discussion, under each division of the out- line it is at once clear that it centers in the arguments from Scriptural authority. In the first division, eleven Bible texts are quoted in full or paraphrased, in the second division seventeen texts are quoted or partially quoted, and in the third division of the discussion sixteen texts are quoted or alluded to. The texts appear to be arranged in the order of their degree of strength and clarity under each subdivision of the main divisions. The argument of each text is pointed out and 225 further elaborated on; and then after a brief summary of the argument to that point, the next subdivision is introduced and the procedure re- peated. For an example of this approach the entire second subdivision is introduced and the procedure repeated. For an example of this approach the entire second subdivision of part I of the outline is quoted: Secondly, it's the greatest evidence of the righteousness of God. It's a proof of His righteousness. He did not spare 'His own Son, but delivered him up for us all.' Romans 8:32. At no time during Old Testament days did God mete out to sin a hundred per cent punishment. (See Acts 17:30). In some ways His holiness and righteousness appeared to be called in question because of the passing over of previous sins 'through the“forbearance of God.‘ Romans 3:25. But, in the atoning death of Jesus Christ His son, mankind sees the absolute right- eousness of the Supreme Judge of the universe. God's patience in past and His forgiveness in the future are righteous only as we look at them through the cross. So we can say that past patience (Romans 3:25), present judgment (John 12:31); and future grace (Romans 5:8, 9) meet at the cross. (””“““””“”1 It is observed that a total of twelve arguments are used as proof that "the cross is not outmoded." Three of the twelve arguments appear in the first divisiOn of the discussion, seven arguments in the second division, and two in the last division. It is interesting to note the parenthetical statements which Richards makes about his theme which carry a motivation appeal based on religious sentiment. For instance at the cloae of the second main division he says: How could the cross ever be outmoded as far as Jesus is concerned? He came to die. He died and fulfilled His atoning sacrifice. He cried, 'It is finished.‘ John 19:30. Was it all for nothing? No, a thousand times no: The cross of Christ will be the science and the song of the redeemed throughout endless ages. The method of conclusion used in the sermon under discussion is by recapitulation and application. In recapitulation, Richards first reminds his hearers that the discussion has shown that the cross is "at the center of God's plan and 226 of our salvation," and further that the cross has meaning from eternity to eternity and will never be outmoded. In the first part of the application he attempts to make the cross personal to the hearer in two ways: First by stating that when the believer shares in the cross of Christ, he is to live "the crucified life;" and secondly, that as a believer the Christian is personally responsible to preach the gospel of the cross. In the second part of n - 4%! d the application Richards employs motivational appeals to religious values by showing from the Scriptures the five-fold victory over death, self, the flesh, the world, and Satan, all available to the Christian because ‘ -...- .Jrur: r 1! he of the Cross. The sermon closes on a literary note, appealing again to religious values but also to the desire for self-preservation: The cross outmoded? Not as long as the lost need to be saved. The cross outmoded? Not as long as the redeemed praise God for their salvation. The cross outmoded? Not as long as the Lamb wears the scars of his passion. The cross outmoded? Not as long as the throne of God endures, for it is also the throne of the Lamb. Sermon analysis: Style.--The term "style," as defined in Chapter Three, denotes the way in which language is used by a speaker to make his ideas meaningful to his audience. Within this context the consti- tuents of style especially applicable to Mr. Richards' radio sermons are (1) choice of words, (2) structural adaptation of words, and (3) use of figurative elements. The case study method has been principally chosen for analyzing the factors of style in Richards' sermons. Three representative ser- mons have been selected from the three hundred which were analyzed in detail as a part of the research for this chapter. One sermon, "The 227 Living and True God," is a doctrinal subject preached by Richards on January 11, 1942. A second sermon, "Do YOu Believe in Signs?" is a sermon on prOphecy preached on January 14, 1951, at the mid-point in the twenty-year span of radio preaching considered in this study. A third sermon, "Are YOu Maladjusted?" on the experiential subject of salvation, was broadcast August 7, 1960. In considering style in these selected sermons, no attempt has been made to do extensive content or procedural ' analysis. The functional intent of this section is to describe the ways in which Richards clothes his thoughts and feelings in language designed ‘ to communicate his'message effectively to an unseen radio audience. 3 Style in Richards' Sermon "The Living and True God." The materials and approach of this doctrinal sermon suggest that Richards proposes to convince the non-believer of the existence of a personal God, and to heighten the belief and faith of Christians in His existence, but more, in His willingness to hear and answer their prayers. The thesis is expressed in antithetical structure to the effect that without the doctrine of God, men are hopelessly lost; but with full faith in the doctrine of God, the future is full of hope. The development of this thesis requires of the preacher a careful selection and arrangement of language. I Choice of words.--Since this sermon is a discourse in defense of a cardinal doctrine of the Christian faith, it is to be expected that the language of logic will dominate. Thus it is that all through the arguments which Richards offers as proof for God's existence may be found words and phrases like: "cause and effect;" "fact;" "proved;" “either, or;" "assume;" "therefore;" "law of compound probability;" "thus;" "testimony;” "only;” "50;" "since this is true;" "we conclude;" 228 and "it is reasonable." An apparent method Richards uses to relieve the intensity of his inexorable logic is the interspersing of statements which use specific and familiar words. For example, following a lengthy paragraph in which he discusses the law of cause and effect as it relates to the origin of the universe, he concludes by saying: "All things, then, that do appear must have been created by some other Being. That Being is GOD." F”‘ In another part of the sermon where Richards has completed a E series of arguments intended to prove God as personal, powerful, and loving, he affirms that it is reasonable, therefore, that God should i hear and answer prayer. Immediately following this conclusion Richards L; says in simple language: "Prayer is communion with God. It is the Opening of the heart to God as to a friend. It is a relationship between two persons." The influence of the language of the Bible is unmistakable in Richards' choice of words in this sermon. It appears natural for Richards to include in his sentences such phrases as "the love of God,“ and "God, holy, loving, powerful, gracious, and long-suffering." In one paragraph ids words closely approximate those of the authors of the four Gospels: Jesus exercised power over nature. He stilled the tempest. He turned water into wine. His word withered the fig tree. He fed five thousand with a few fragments of food. He cured disease with a word or a touch. He broke the power of death itself and gave life to the dead. With this display of mighty power, Jesus manifested love and never turned away from a soul in need. He drew men to Him and then rejoiced to help them. The use of words which may be classified as "response words" be- cause of their intrinsic sign-to-object-to-person connotative meanings, is evident in the sermon on the doctrine of God. Following is a list of emotionalized words which appear repeatedly in this sermon. 229 true despair absurd unbelief hope personal distorted love pure good real sorrow righteous pitiful , powerful Since the major portion of the sermon is taken up with reasons for the existence of God, the use of the personal pronoun is sparse. Only eleven personal pronouns are found in the sermon. Nine of these are either the first person plural "we," or ”us" in the objective case. In only two instances are the personal pronouns "you" and "yourf used; and both of these are found in the direct appeal at the end of the ser- mon when Richards asks the question, "Radio Friend, do you know Him as your personal Saviour?" Have you opened your heart to Him as to a Friend?" In the final consideration of the choice of words in the sermon, "The Living and True God," the use of adjectives and verbs is noted. Descriptive adjectives are found along with adjectives which modify nouns in both comparative and superlative senses. In the sermon are such phrases as: "mightiest telescope," "impersonal, dead, universe," "great conclusion," "inspired writings," "glorious truth," "false philosophy," and "personal Creator." The use of verbs in this sermon is moderate. There is use of the verbs "to be," "assume," "provide," "created," "produce," "know," "fulfilled," "make," "predicted," "reveals," "used," "departed," and "appointed." Structural adaptation of words.--Structure is concerned with "the way in which words are assembled and related so as to convey thought with economy of effort and effectiveness Of purpose. Before considering this aspect of style in Richards' radio sermons, it is necessary to point out first, that the nature of the communication medium dictates something 230 of structure with regards to length and complexity of sentences; and secondly, that he preaches from a manuscript which has been carefully edited by a copy editor so that it is relatively free from syntactical error. In the sermon considered here there are 107 sentences composed of from four to forty words. The sermon abounds in simple, declarative sentences like: "We have the love of God;" ”The Bible reveals God as a Personal Being;" and "God is righteous, according to the Scriptures.” A number of compound sentences occur like "Not only is the personal pronoun constantly used in reference to God, but the attributes of per- sonality are said to belong to Him." Only one compound-complex sentence is found which reads: . . . He has shown His great interest in human beings He Himself has created by sending His Son into the world and also in providing the Scriptures, and the inspired writings repeatedly declare that prayer to GOD is heard and answered. . An additional characteristic of the sentences is their directness. In straightforward manner Richards says: "All that Christ, is, God is;“ or ”Personality exists as a fact in the world;" and again, "No uninspired human being has ever been able to meet the test of Bfible prophecy." Richards uses twenty-eight paragraphs in developing his proposition. The longest paragraph uses eight sentences, the average paragraph five sentences, and the shortest paragraph has only one sentence. There is noticeable variety in the length of the sentences making up each para- graph. Each of the paragraphs begins with a topical sentence, which is then developed by the remaining sentences in the paragraph in climactic Sequence. One clear example of this kind of development is a paragraph in which Richards attempts to establish the fact of the personality of God. He says: 231 Now, a cause must be adequate to produce the observed effect. Personality exists as a fact in the world. We all know this fact, for we ourselves are persons. Since there is person- ality in the world, there must be a personal God as its cause. It is impossible to suppose that human persons could exist withoh a personal Creator back of them. In moving his thoughts from paragraph to paragraph, Richards employs a number of connective words and phrases as sign posts to assist the radio audience in following him. There is significant use of the phrases "thus it is," and "thus we know." Also, a number of paragraphs begin with the words "since," "now," or "therefore." In‘striving to be forceful and at the same time clear, Richards makes use of three structural devices in adapting his material to his audience.l The first is the rhetorical question, which is used in Richards' appeal as he faces his hearers with some kind of decision. Secondly, the question and answer is used in one paragraph to draw attention to the incredulity of the idea that God is impersonal: Can an abstract Principle love? Can a mere Idea love? Can we have a personal relationship with an impersonal abstraction? The answer is "NO." God loves us and has revealed His love in His Son, Jesus Christ. Love is the active expression of person- ality. The love of God for sinful man is the supreme expression of love. Therefore, GOD is the supreme Personality of the universe. The third device is the antithetical statement which compares and con- trasts opposite ideas. Observe this passage: .. . . All things which are seen began to exist. Now, they either created themselves, or they came into existence by mere chance, or they were created by some other Being. But self- creation is a contradiction, for it supposes that a being can act before it exists. Creation by chance is absurd,-for to say a thing is caused with no cause for its production is to say a thing is effected when it is effected by nothing. A somewhat different structural practice worthy of mention is the way in which Richards introduces the Scriptures into his discourse. As noted in the section on arrangement, the most frequent tee of Scriptures ‘1... . 232 is by quotation of entire verses following an assertion or introductory statement. Richards also weaves Scripture into his paragraphs in more subtle fashion. The Scriptural quotations become a part of the sentences and are stated without pause for reference. He makes this use of Scrip- ture in one sentence: God does answer prayer. Like any other fact, this great conclusion is simply a matter of evidence, and millions of Christians have borne witness to it. They say, 'I cried-He answered.‘ 'They called upon the Lord, and He answered them.‘ Psalm 99:6. Structural adaptation for effectiveness is also accomplished by ”W: - r ammo-I! rhythm and easy flow of language. __ .._.__._. t“ Indicative of the language facility in this sermon is his penchant for rhythmical prose. Notice the unmeasured rhythm in the following two passages, which are typical: Prayer appears in the remote age of Genesis, breathes from almost every page of the Bible, and rises to the grand Halleluiah Chorus in the Throne Room of Revelation. and * s w w * * * Science can never by searching find out God unto perfection. The mightiest telescope will sweep in vain the hiding places of the boundless voids. But GOD is revealed in His Son, Jesus Christ. Figurative elements.--Richards' concern for simplicity in the logical development of his sermon propositions does not allow for any deliberate, studied embellishment for the purposes of impressing his hearers with literary style. Because his sermons are designed, primarily, to be heard, the language is kept simple to insure intelligibility. However, some ornamentation is to be found in the choice of words in his sermons. Figurative language which pictures concepts in broad, sweeping strokes is found in Richards' expressions of awe and reverence for the deity. In one place in the sermon he speaks of "the terrible 233 blackness of life apart from God in Christ," and again in a sentence concerning Christ's incarnation he comments that "Christ was the embodi- ment of love . . . His wonderful personality marked a decimal point in the record of time." Perhaps the most impressive imagery found in the sermon "The Living and True God," is this metaphorical statement on the position of man in the universe: ”I I i I. We are not 'children crying in the night' of an impersonal, dead universe. We are not helpless atoms in the iron grip of blind Law. We are not erratic shadows cast by some pantheistic NOTHING upon the screen of eternity. We have something more than the vibrations of light rays and the dance of electrons, protons, and neutrons. a firm“; .'——-.*.u' .mmoe .0 Richards is not often given to satire or sarcasm in his sermons, but occasionally in his polemical pattern he seeks to batter down skeptical opposition with words like these: men do not pray to an abstraction. They do not sacrifice fortune, dear ones, and even life itself, merely for the so-called 'assured results of scholarship.’ They do not go into heathen lands and serve long, lonely years of sacrificial devotion for an 'impersonal God' - some vague abstraction, unrevealed in the Bible, without knowledge - without love and without power. Of the other common figures found in written and oral discourse, Richards uses the metaphor, alliteration, anaphora, and the asyndeton in his doctrinal sermon considered here. The metaphors speak of "the fog of unbelief," ”the corrosive acids of modernism,” and "the darkness of human philosophy." Alliteration is found in sentences like: "With full faith in the true doctrine of God the future is full of hope;" and "He .£?d five thousand with a few fragments of food.V The anaphora, in which the same word is emphatically repeated, is accomplished with the word "only" in these phrases: Only a person can ask questions . . . . Only a person can make promises and keep them . . . . Only a person can give 23h commands . . . . Only a person can speak to a prophet in vision . . . . Only a person can hear petitions and give an answer . . . . Only a person can forgive out of a loving heart. Finally, the asyndeton, a figure brought about by the omission of con- junctive particles, dropped to impress the heater with vehemence or speed, is found in the sentence: "Only a person can love, hate, will, know, desire, sorrow, and so forth." Style in Richards' Sermon "Do YOu Believe in Signs?" In his sermons on the prophecies of the Bible, Richards attempts to show the reciprocal relationships between what the prophets predicted in the Scriptures and what appears to be prOphetic fulfillment as it is found recorded in secular history. When this type of sermon is preached, the theme, generally, is either the second coming of Christ, or the divinity of Christ. In the sermon "Do Ybu Believe in Signs?" the theme is the second coming of Christ as outlined in the second chapter of the Bible book Daniel. The approach is chiefly didactic with the seeming prupose of teaching and convincing the audience that (l) Christ is coming and coming soon, and (2) the Bible is true because its pro- phecies come true. Choice of words.--In contrast to the sermon on the doctrine of God, the choice of words for this sermon is based largely upon explanatory and factual material. The following consecutive paragraphs give some hint of the type of words peculiar to this prOphecy-centered sermon: Let us look at one of these prOphecieS found in the second chapter of the book of Daniel. This book was written by the prOphet Daniel hundreds of years before Christ was born. Here are plain predictions given by the Holy Spirit of God. These predictions point right down to our day. They touch the high mountain peaks of history. And here we find the response of history to the voice of prophecy, God's prophecy. In Daniel 2:31 we read of a dream that was given to the great dictator-king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. In this dream 235 he saw a great metallic image. The head was of gold, the breast and arms of silver, the sides and thighs Of brass, the legs of iron, the feet a strange mixture of iron and clay. The king saw a stone cut out without human hands or help, smite this image upon the feet and break them to pieces. Then the entire image was broken and ground into dust by this stone. It was blown away by the winds like the chaff from an ancient threshing floor. Then "the stone that smote the image became a great moun- tain, and filled the whole earth." That's the dream. A counting study of 202 words selected from the above paragraphs reveals the following distribution of word size: Words of five letters or more . . . . . #1 Words of five letters . . . . . . . . . 33 Words of four letters . . . . . . . . . “2 ‘ Words of three letters . . . . . . . . #9 Words of two letters... . . . . . . . . 42 The high percentage of small words indicated in this count is character- istic of the Size of the words used in most of the sermon. The words in the class of five letters or more are words like: "prediction," "response," "strange," "entire," ”ancient," "broken." In all probability most of these longer words are common in the experience of the average listener. A variant use of words in this sermon is noticed in the form of contractions. In two sentences are found "that's" for "that is," and "we're" for "we are." The frequent appearance of Bible words is common in this sermon as well as in the sermon previously discussed. In many sentences may be found words and phrases like: "latter days," "we do not know the hour . . . .", "the words of the Lord Jesus Christ," or "His eternal and glorious kingdom." Although the sermon material to a great extent is informational, the presence of response words is none-the-less significant. .Emotive 'words appearing most frequently are: 236 glory believe perfect strong prepared wonderful greatest watching joy overwhelming waiting hOpe tremendous living assurance In this sermon thirty personal pronouns are used, five of which are the personal pronoun "you" and the rest either "we," "us," or "our." As Richards looks at prophecy and its fulfillment in history, he identi- fies himself with his audience by using such statements as: "We must believe in the signs;" "We are living in the last days;" "We are living V _.. “dang S I witnesses and participants in the fulfillment of these prophecies;" and ,_——_ "We cannot fix a date." The pronoun "you" is reserved mostly for the I appeal sentences in the sermon. Among the parts of speech used in this sermon, the noun is dom- inant as Richards describes the signs of Christ‘s coming. Thus, he speaks of empires, kingdoms, council tables, events, knowledge, in- ventions, days, and hours. The verbs "reveal, "coming,” and "fulfill run all through the discussion. Modifying adjectives, are thinly scattered. Structural adaptation of words.--In the prophecy sermon ”Do You Believe in Signs?" there are 157 sentences, or forty-two more than in the doctrinal sermon "The Living and True God." In seeking to account for this difference, it seems apparent that Richards uses a prodigous number of short sentences in describing events in history. Notice the brevity, yet compass, of the material in this paragraph: 'After thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron' Daniel 2:39, #0. History reSponds to this prophecy. These successive signs were actually fulfilled, as any schoolboy who has studied {ii " ‘r. ' " 479,1) ’; fu'i‘ly can £81: '«Th 7 f .‘ , n8 was '.‘ -‘3:si:, qflicf i llowel Wabylcn 3n 3. i,_, “hr th,; .‘cv' ' of brass was Gracia. She 0V:rc: e -‘(r _ t "11:1: of Arbel: L" 37’ 3.C. The fourth , m- m, ;__:, ent a; the leg: w; iron, wzs the iron mona.c1 r? *Iwa, whit; ov;ru threw Green: at :52 battle of Pydna i: ‘.Q ' The lo".«=t sentence ”A the sermon is a cc:,-urd "~n_r‘,. only twenty-four wvr‘r ring and is found in the last waragra H. 2V.s terre l L nse of fien‘en.e$ nelps to move the ideas of the so '.; -,on .th :apiditv required by the nature of the tf,;c and the . ;;:L ,i Broapcss. time given for its development. The shortness of ‘.e sente,' hair. the style seem direct and almosn brusque. The diresthc , ‘- ever, c. pels attention. Fcr example Richards makes, with li $1; z.:..i-cat:.;, such bold pronouncements as. "There are to be no m: c .tuaers 1 J01 empires;" and “Xe are living in an age which fulfili. t a * fi”e pic;.1 exactly." Shcrt, exclamatory sentences add to the cart 2. -- st,; 45 he says enlistically, "There are Signs!" and "What . .r”-'~: pic. this is of our day!" Alcng with 5? additional number of sentences in ;E) .. .wn is also an inc:eass 7n the number of garagraphs. In the .;~. arm here wet: :ue:;5 e 7hr p ragra;hs, and in the sermon cor igtred he“: there are thirty paragraphs. The paragrs rs range in number of sente‘ ;~ from two to eleven, all of varying lengths. The development of the paragraphs is by topic sentence with sub- sequent amplification in the sentences which follow. The climax develop- ment of ideas is present it a number of {aragraphs similar t this Cfiw found near the sernon conclu.;on: ‘--a— , -.- -‘x.sam as” ,. . u;:. 2H7 remarked: ”I know‘what I have in there so do not feel it is necessary 266 Proof that he does know what is in to go over the sermon too much." his radio sermons is found in an experience related in These Times in May, 1955. The article states: . . . there was the time when he accidentally took the wrong script into the studio, when still broadcasting live not realizing his error until his announcer introduced the subject for the day, which was not that of the script. 'I realized that if I let on, it would throw the whole staff into confusion, so I just girded up the loins of my mind and preached on the subject the announcer had given. I was wringing wet with sweat when I got through--the tension was terrific. And all the time I was speaking, I could see the boys in the control booth frantically leafing through the dup- licate script I had handed them, trying to find the cues that were not there.‘ I The Visual Factors in Richards' Delivery Every change in a speaking situation requires special modifications in the speaker's delivery.‘iSo it is that the radio speaker is entirely dependent upon the auditory code as he seeks to transmit his personality. sincerity, enthusiasm, and the meaning of his message by the voice alone. Yet in order to enhance the communication of his voice, the radio speaker is advised to stand in a relaxed but erect posture and to gesture freely.268 Mr. Richards did not follow this recommendation in the early years of his radio broadcasting. Only in recent years since 1957, when after an illness it was noticed that his voice was beginning to lose its vigor, did he stand at a pulpit to speak. When he receives his cue to begin his sermon, Richards stands before the speaker's stand, opens his coat, picks up the sermon 267These Times, May 1955, p. 7. 268Robert T. Oliver and Rupert L. Cortright, Effective speech (New York, 1961), pp. 332, #31. “— -1. ‘1'; 2'48 manuscript in his right hand, and holding it about fourteen inches from his eyes, leans forward on the stand and begins speaking seemingly unaware of the microphone. Bodily action is kept at a minimum. Standing with his right foot forward giving an appearance of alertness, Richards moves his feet back and forth as he changes position, and occasionally rises up on his heels during points of emphasis. His gestures are few and simply executed. 4 wee-”l . 1 He makes wide, sweeping gestures above the pulpit with his left hand, -1. an somtimes damning his fist and at other times pointing his finger. In other gestures he extends an open palm toward heaven or quickly darts his hand 'toward the floor. Infrequently he will gesture forward with a? both hands. At two or three points in his delivery he will follow the lines of his manuscripts with his timer as he casts furtive glances at the clock attached’to the stand. As one looks full into Richards' face as he delivers his sermon, he receives the impression of alertness, animation, and intensity. The cast of his face is pleasant yet serious. He occasionally smiles and nods his head as though carrying on a lively, informal conversation with a small group of people. Oral factors in Richards' Sermon Delivery The voice, like the face, reveals much about the nature and dis- position of the speaker. It also indicates something of the depth and much about the state of his mind.269 The terms assigned to the variable attributes of the voice which produce these revealing characteristics of personality and thought are difficult to define operationally and 26901iver and Cortright. Effective Speech. p. 362. 2149 therefore serve only to describe rather than to interpret. In assessing the vocal skill of Mr. Richards, an attempt is made to describe his radio voice according to pertinent factors of vocal properties and characteristics of diction as outlined by current speech theorists. general description of Richards' voice.--From a general im- pression gained through listening to a hunter of sermons, Richards' radio voice may be briefly described as a clear, baritone voice, relaxed a?” in production, easily understood, musical, and pleasant to listen to. : His voice gives evidence that behind it is a person possessing utmost confidence in the validity of his message, and having an eager desire to communicate with his audience. As he delivers his sermons, his voice changes in pitch, rate, and volume with the mood of his ideas as he ex- hibits a wide range of emotional tone. Urgency, concern, and personal interest are communicaeed in each sermon. To get other general descriptions which might be more valid than those of the radio audience, interviews were obtained with members of the Voice of Prophecy broadcast group who have been closely associated with Mr. Richards and have listened to his preaching for ten years or longer, and have therefore formulated some definite impressions of his vocal skill. Mr. Robert Seamount, second tenor of the Voice of Prophecy quartette, is impressed with the personal warmth in Richards' voice and the fact that he seems always to be speaking directly and intimately to one individual.270 Mr. Jerry Dill, bass in the Voice of Prophecy quartette says: It is definitely a comunicating voice. When Mr. Richards is talking you are aware that you are listening to a masculine 2701nterview, June 27, 1961. 250 voice, but beyond that you are oblivious to the voice because you become involved in his message to the point you are only aware that here is a man who is reading your mind and speaking your exact thoughts and feelings.271 . Miss Del Delker, contralto soloist on the Voice of Prophecy program, characterizes the voice as "warm and friendly always."272 Mr. Wayne Reaper, baritone in the Voice of Prophecy quartette, describes the voice as having a "mellowness, warmth, and physical depth which makes listening very easy.273 Mr. Milton.Carlsen, Voice of Prophecy program director, :- "M makes the following comments: Mr. Richards has an ideal radio voice in that he can enunciate words at rapid speed or slow pace and all will be intelligible. He is easy to listen to as his personality emerges with feeling.27 ‘- ans-4- (‘—~ While no final judgment can be based upon general impressions, it is significant that many people who listen to Richards for any length of time describe his speaking voice in the way in which it has been reported in these paragraphs. Vocal attributes.--The terms used by’most writers on voice pro- duction to describe the sensation of sound in a psychological sense are pitch, quality, rate, and force. This terminology will be followed here in describing the variable attributes of Mr. Richards' voice. Richards possesses the physical requirements for an effective speaking voice. His breathing can be described as a combination of costal and diaphragmatic breathing or central-abdominal breathing*which is controlled so that the breath stream adequately sustains the phonetion 27llbid. 2721bid. 2731bid. 27“Ib1d. 251 of all of the sentences in his sermons. As he speaks, there appears to -be no tension in his throat or nick. In his earlier experience in tent preaching Richards was plagued with sore throats until he learned through trial and error to relax his throat and control his breathing. Regarding resonance, or the amplification of phonation as per- formed by a group of air chambers in the head and throat, there is no evidence of nasality. Richards' tones seem to be mellow and rich through his natural manipulation of the resonating cavities. There appears to be sufficient movement of the tongue, lips, _ __.___- “"1 teeth, and jaw for precise articulation. ‘1.” Pitch Pitch is determined by the frequency of the vibration of sound waves which strike the ear. While the general pitch level of Richards' voice may be classified as baritone, his voice range is flexible enough to move with variety GB and down the pitch scale. Richards begins his sermons in the lower part of his general range; and then as the tempo and mood of the message increase, he will often reach a high F or F# in the thought climaxes. Apart from the climaxes the pattern of his pitch varies in each sentence gradually rather than abruptly. It is interesting to note that when Richards is reading or quoting Scriptures, he invariably drops his voice. Vocal Quality Quality is determined by the combination of resonances in the voice. Resonance in turn is affected by the ”health, mood, attitude, or emotional state of a speaker.”75 2”Oliver and Cortright, Effective Speech, p. 370. 252 The emotional tone of empathy, or the projection of warmth of feeling for the listener, domiminates Richards' vocal quality. Even on the sound discs containing the first draft of his sermons, when he is preoccupied with getting down ideas, there is a perceivsble warmth and personal interest; and this carries over with more intensity in the de- livered sermon. His voice also seems to take on emotional overtones of joy, humor, friendliness, and confidence. The spontaneous, conversational quality in Richards' voice is .‘ - ‘. '-.u"s AN“. .. ., unmistakable. During the first years of his broadcasting, his messages sound as though they were being merely read; but after 19u5 there is a ~ choose-r .w -1 noticeable difference in vocal quality toward the conversational mode which is characteristic in face-to-face communication. It is observed that the more familiar Richards is with his subject theme, the more conversational is the quality of his voice. This is particularly true in his doctrinal Termons, a fact no doubt attributable to his early experience in preaching evangelistic sermons which were mostly doctrinal. Also in the doctrinal sermons Richards is more dramatic. Another noticeable quality in Richards' voice is the mellow and rich intonation found in his oral interpretation of the Bible, hymns, and poetry. Pores Modulating the force of the breath stream changes the force of the voice. Variations in force for radio speech are achieved in a narrower range than for the platform and require special adaptation of the speaker's voice to keep projection at a minimum and still communicate the intensity of the speaker's ideas. Whereas emphasis is ordinarily achieved by increasing the loudness of a word or phrase, or by a sharp 253 reduction of vocal volume, the radio speaker must vary his voice less abruptly so as not to offend the ear of his listener. Force in radio speaking is not accomplished so much by degree of effusiveness or ex- plosiveness, but rather by shifting of stress on word syllables. From the time of his first broadcast in 19u2. Mr. Richards has employed word stress to achieve force in his radio preaching. In an animated, conversational manner he has worked to achieve vigorous and f”‘ animated expression by stressing verbs anddescriptive adjectives. Any % other demonstration of force or intensity is modified in keeping with fl good micrOphone technique. E Once in 1956 after Richards had conducted a special evangelistic Li preaching series in Bakersfield, California, he took the recorded sermons of the meetings and edited themfor radio release. His delivery in evangelistic preaching is quite forceful and dramatic; and while this was acceptable from the public pulpit, it brought so many letters of protest from his radio audience that he has seldom since that time raised his voice above ordinary conversation. Rgtg.--The average number of words per minute spoken in the twelve ser- mons listened to in investigating Mr. Richards' delivery is 155. The fastest rate is 160 words per minute, and the slowest is 110 words per minute. His speed of utterance has not changed significantly during his nineteen years of broadcasting coast to coast. His habitual mode of speaking is to begin rather slowly, increasing his rate during climaxes or in speaking short, staccato-type sentences, then slowing down during the application of his message and being slower still in the final sen- tences. Names, places, Scriptural references, and parenthetical or ex- planatory expressions while hastily uttered, are perceivable. 254 Variety in Richards' rate of delivery is achieved chiefly through the pause. Asia rule he speaks no more than nine words before pausing, and in numerous instances the pause comes more quickly and in the middle of a sentence. Examples of these pauses are found in sentences like: "there is only one (two second pause) chapter. . . ."; "where will the power come (three second pause) to win?” and ”these words that are put in (two second pause) by a thoughtless. . . ." In some sentences where a number of descriptive adjectives are used in a series, Richards will pause noticeably between each word to give the impression that he wants the full meaning of each word to sink deeply into the consciousness of A. _ _.. ._.——-—_————» n-ux-ufl kw 5 his hearets. The overall length of his pauses in the introduction and body of his sermons is no longer than five seconds, while those in the conclusion are approximately eight seconds. Intelligibility.—-Successful communication of meaning through the medium of radio is dependent upon instant intelligibility of the speakers' words. The factors of intelligibility are (l) distinctness. (2) syllable duration, and (3) acceptable pronunciation.276 Distinctness as a Factor in Richards' Delivery Distinctness in speech is achieved through precise manipulation of the tongue, lips, jaw, and hard and soft palates. With few exceptions Mr. Richards is distinct because his articulation is crisp and decisive. .His control of rate of utterance allows sufficient time to get the speech sounds out, and the movement of his speech apparatus is flexible enough to shape the sounds toward distinctness. There is no noticeable muffling or garbling of words, but occasionally there is some slurring of final 275Alan H. Monroe, Principles and §§pes of Speech (New York: Scott, Foresmsn and Company, 9 5 , pp. 1 - 36. 255 consonants preceding the pronoun ”him" so that sounds such as ”within," "seeim," or ”giveim” are heard. Syllsble Duration Duration of sound is evident in Richards' delivery. Vowels are held on to in an almost orotund manner as though he were reluctant to let them stop moving through the air. The consonants, on the other hand are clipped sharply in movement from syllable to syllable. Pronunciation as a Factor of Richards' Delivery An analysis of Richards' pronunciation indicates general confor- mity to the General American dialect acknowledged by radio announcers as a standard for acceptable diction and pronunciation. In the monitored sermons only four inconsistencies of pronunciation were observed. In a sermon entitled "Why So Many Denominations?" preached in 19u3, Mr. Richards pronounced the diphthong ”ou" in the word ”boule- vard" as the vowel ”u" is pronounced in the word "bull.” In the same sermon he pronounced the vowel ”i" in the word "diverge” as it is pro- nounced in the word ”pin.” In 1953 in his sermon "The Keeping of Christ," Richards pronounced the vowel "a” in the word "all” as it is pronounced ‘in the word "man.” The last instance of faulty pronunciation is in a question-snd-answer sermon preached in 1956, in which Richards pronounced the diphthong Vai" in again as the vowel ”i" in the word ”ill." Such inconsistencies in Richards‘ pronunciation appear so in- frequently that they do not appear to be a deterrent to the communication of his messages. Summary of the Rhetorical Elements Found in Richards' Radio Preaching Summary of invention factors.--Judging by the frequence of v .‘00 so r1 ll .a-uwt’l var .‘ 3‘ . E...- n 256 appearance of the types of evidence and reasoning noted in the sermons analyzed, it would appear that Mr. Richards' method of logical argument is basically inferential. His use of facts, testimony, and opinion, other than Scriptural, become only a part of an extensive inductive pattern of proof. In his reasoning Richards uses all of the traditionally labeled forms, argument from example, analogy, cause to effect, effect to cause, and sign. Argument by example is most frequently employed. Another means of proof is by explanation, where exposition by exegesis, explication, and definition occur frequently in all parts of __.—- _‘a A, slum—j the sermon. Here also he relies heavily on the Bible for interpretation. ‘7‘: Argument by Scriptural authority predominates in Richards' reasoning. Nearly all of his logical arguments rely on Scriptural evi- dence, which is considered by him to be the one great authority for the Protestant preacher. There is no impressive evidence in Richards' sermons of any extensive use of ethical proof that is directly stated or deliberately implied within the sermon composition. However, there are enough ethical persuasion statements to indicate his awareness of a need to picture himself to his audience in as favorable a light as possible. In the examples evincing probity of character, Richards relies mainly on personal testimony which witnesses to his own religious ex- perience dating from.conversion. Examples are found also which suggest earnestness, sincerity, integrity, and magnanimity. In a few instances he reveals something of his character by associating himself and his ( broadcast with that which is elevated and virtuous. It is difficult to find sentences in Richards' sermons in which 257 he openly asserts his competence and intelligence. These are implied, however, in some statements regarding his previous successes and certain of his background experiences. The clearest manifestation of ethical persuasion from within the sermon is that found in statements expressing his identification with, and personal interest in, his listeners. It is further observed that there is some overlapping of ethical r. elements. For example, "sincerity" is difficult to confine to one ' category since it can emerge in the context and mood of other statements. Richards' use of motive appeals, while pronounced, is incidental in.comparison to the pattern of argument he sets forth. The appeal is i} first to the intellect and then to innate desires. The appeals are found in all parts of the sermon structure but mainly in the conclusions, where he is appealing for some kind of action on the part of his audience. The dominant appeals are to values, loyalty, and self-preservation. In appealing to values, Richards emphasises religious values of peace, se- curity, comfort, success in this life, and assurance of the next. Loyalty appeals are made on the basis of what Christ has done for the individual and what the individual then owes in allegiance. The major emphasis in appeals to self-preservation is on the shortness of probationary time for both the individual and mankind in general. Appeals receiving least emphasis are those to reputation, desire for happiness, emulation, power, and a sense of humor. Very noticeable in appeals for action is the use of direct suggestion following structured argument. Summary of arrangement factors.--Richards' introductions are characterized by variety, brevity, and directness. The average introduction is no longer than two paragraphs, absorbing no more than ninety seconds in 1,7.“ 258 actual delivery. The introductions generally consist of a single thought that is direct and closely related to the sermon subject. The tran- sitions from the introduction to the proposition or discussion are hardly discernible. The overall design of the introductions appears to be geared toward carrying the audience into the main line of thought found in the discussion proper. The historical, distributive, and logical methods of development are all employed in developing the sermon discussions. The discussion proper is generally organized around three or four--at the most seven--points, and each stated or implied at the be- ‘Qifafl’“"‘“"""""'fl ginning of each division of the outline. These points are arranged in topical or logical order, the number of points varying in each section of the discussion. The order of arguments appears to vary according to the outline approach, but generally the strongest argument is stated first and is followed by subordinate arguments in the order of importance in- tended by Richards. Elaboration of each point of the discussion is accomplished by amplification, and includes statements implying motive and ethical appeals. Transitions between ideas are hardly discernible except between the main divisions of the outline. A recapitulation or summary of the main arguments usually follows the discussion; and the conclusion consists mainly of appeals for action based on a combination of questions, direct appeal, exhortation, or illustration. Summary of style factors.--In the analysis of the factors of style, the investigative emphasis has been on discovering as far as possible tflanprocess of language choice and arrangement for purposes of communi- cating his messages to a radio audience. 259 This summary is based upon a detailed analysis of three selected sermons and also on a larger survey of three hundred additional sermons. Generalizing from these analyses, it may be said that Richards' style is precise and plain. The language of the sermons is simple. Most of the words are short; and whenever long words are used, they are common and intelligible. The choice of words varies with the nature of the sermon subject. For the doctrinal or more argument-centered sermon the language is that of logic; in the sermons on prophecy subjects the language is didactic and informational. Each sermon is composed of approximately twenty-five paragraphs, using an average of 122 sentences. The sentences are simple and com- ‘ . fig... ._.-._.a .3“ —_ _— .: sum-j K... - J O ‘ _. ’- D pound and have varying lengths from three to forty-nine words. The paragraphs are generally developed in climax order following a compre- hensive topical sentence. There is evidence in most sermons of the use of such structural devices as repetition, the rhetorical question, questions and their answers, and antithesis. While there is no steady flow of rhythmical prose in the sermons, there are passages which hint of poetic cadence and beauty. It is obvious that rhythm is only incidental to logical development. In Mr. Richards' sermons there is a subordination of figurative elements. Of the many common tropes and figures of speech, the metaphor, simile, asyndeton, anaphora, and alliteration are found. From this description it may be said that Richards'~ style is dictated by his desire to communicate to as wide an audience as possible. He urges his arguments on his listeners in simple language difficult to misunderstand. 260 Summary of Delivery.--The effectiveness of Mr. Richards' sermon delivery is due in large part to the vibrancy, intimacy, and warmth of personality which he is able to convey through his radio voice. Speaking from a complete manuscript and with a minimum of bodily action, he communicates in a straight-forward, conversational manner what is in him of confidence, urgency, and empathy as they concern his sermon and his audience. Re- cordings of his voice reveal no extremes in pitch or force as he gives F”“ it’d“- - utterance his thoughts and feelings. Overtones of joy, humor, sadness, and friendliness are diffused throughout his sermons. Intelligibility is achieved through controlled yet varied rate of speaking, through 5 precise articulation, and through conformity to an acceptable standard 3‘ of pronunciation for radio speech. Noted deviations from delivery norms do not seem significant in terms of adversely affecting communication. ) . CHAPTER V A RHE'IORICAL ANAYLSIS OF H. M. S. RICHARIB' RADIO SERMON "WHAT JBIB SAID ABOUT HII'SELF" To provide additional bases for criticism of Mr. Richards' radio preaching, this chapter attempts to extend the survey analysis found in Chapter IV, by presenting a case study of one of his sermons. The sermon, "What Jesus Said About Himself," has been selected {CA-“.“,. .. . up - . , on the basis of its Christological theme since the majority of Richards' sermons express this theme, and also because the rhetorical elements found within the sermon structure approximate those found in the survey made of the rest of his sermons. The descriptive and analytical material in this chapter will be discussed in a modified form of the rhetorical pattern outlined in Chapter IV, as follows: (1) external factors relative to the sermon, (2) the speaker's purpose and proposition, (3) matters of invention, viz., logical argument, ethical persuasion, and motivation appeals, (h) sermon structure and arrangment, (S) adaptation of the sermon to the radio audience, and i6) delivery of the sermon. For reference in following the discussion of the rhetorical de- vices employed by Mr. Richards, a substance outline of the sermon under consideration is found in Appendix (VI). The outline has been constructed word-for-word from the original manuscript with the exception of certain headings marked by brackets, which have been added for clarity in the analysis. 262 For explanation of the various labels used in discussing the rhetorical constituents found in this sermon, attention is directed to the definitions of the rhetorical idiom stated in each section of Chap- ter IV. External Factors Relative Tb The Sermon In December of 1956, H. M. S. Richards delivered a series of four radio sermons based on what Christ said concerning four fundamental doc- trines of the Christian church. The topics of these four sermons were: "What Jesus Said About Holy Scripture;" "What Jesus Said About Salvation;" "what Jesus Said About Himself;" and "What Jesus Said About the Hereafter." The third sermon in the series, "What Jesus Said About Himself,” was broadcast on December 23, two days before Christmas. At this Christmas season in 1956, Richards had been broadcasting coast-to-coast for fourteen years. The voice of Prophecy radio program was at that time being broadcast over 600 network outlets in North. America. While statistics are not available to report the size of Richards' listening audience at this time, some indication may be in- ferred from a Nielsen report which indicates that approximately one million listeners were tuning in to the voice of PrOphecy broadcast each week of June, 1956. It is probable that this figure had not appreciably changed by December of 1956. Data for analysis of this mass audience are not ascertainable. Concerning other broadcast factors external to the sermon, it is tuned that the voice of Prophecy radio script for December 23, 1956 followed the usual format preceding the sermon: introduction of theme song, commercials for the Bible Correspondence courses, Richards' prayer, and music furnished‘by members of the voice of Prophecy music staff. On .‘ ' a “Va“; 1 263 this ”Christmas" broadcast three carols were sung, "Angels Singing O'er the Plains," the familiar "Silent Night," and a carol sung in Spanish entitled "The Virgin‘Washes Swaddling Clothes." Immediately following “this last carol Mr. Richards began his radio sermon without further introduction. The Speaker's Purpose and Proposition One of the major issues which dictates Mr. Richards' choice of ri‘ sermon purposes and propositions is the issue over the divinity of g l 1 ‘ Jesus Christ. In opposition to "liberal" theologians who question all Scriptural statements implying that Jesus of Nazareth possessed a div- lf’. Q .0 S..- inity beyond ordinary’mortals; in contradiction to "modernist" theo- logians who grant Christ a high place of honor among the world's teachers but who deny any metaphysical construction of His person; and in protest to theologians of the nee-orthodox school of thought who reduce Christ to a historical medium through which the transcendent God made himself known to the world, Richards vigorously advocates the evangelical position on.Christ's divinity held also by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and outlined from their church manual as follows: ‘Jesus Christ is very God, Being of the same nature and essence as the Eternal Father. While retaining His divine nature, He took upon Himself the nature of the human family, lived on the earth as a man; exemplified in His life as our example the prin- ciples of righteousness, attested His relationship to God by many miracles, died for our sins on the Cross, was raised from the dead and ascended to the Father, where He ever lives to make intercession for us. The subject material of the sermon "What Jesus Said About Himself" and the approach to persuasion suggest three purposes. In the careful statement of Christ's words the teaching purpose is inferred from the lChurch Manual, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, p. 30. 26h amount of specific information which Richards gives on the nature of Christ and His mission to this world. The amount of evidence amassed as proof suggests a second purpose, that of convincing the audience that Christ was more than a great man, that in reality He was and is God. A final purpose, also implied, is that of actuating members of the radio audience personally to accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour. The sermon proposition expresses the gist of the sermon. This FMs sermon on the nature of Christ contains two statements of the propo- i sition, the one brief, the other more definite: - ' (l) Christ was God with us as a means to an end, and that end was our salvation. w; (2) He Christ came to redeem a lost race. For that re- demption it was necessary that He take human nature, that He be- come truly man and yet remain God. The incarnation, Christ's coming in human flesh, was necessary because of sin and to accom- plish the atoning sacrifice of redemption on the cross. Matters of Invention Invention in the sermon "What Jesus Said About Himself," is con- cerned with the investigative effort of the speaker and his use of logical, ethical, and motivational modes of persuasion. Sources of sermon materials.--The primary source of ideas for this sermon is the Bible. Mr. Richards uses a total of thirty-six Bible verses in presenting his message, and all of the verses except one are taken from the New Testament. Texts from the Gospel of John are most preva- lent with the remaining texts being taken in equal proportion from the Epistles of Paul and the book of Revelation. The single Old Testament text is taken from the prophet Micah. For other ideas in the sermon, Richards makes reference or allusion to art, photography, science, history, literature, systematic theology, 265 and life's experiences. The remaining ideas appear to come through his own dialectical approach to his subject. Logical argument.--In brief, the scope of Richards' logical argu- ment includes seeking to establish the pre-existence of Christ, His re- lationship to God the Father, and His mission to this world, for the purpose of proving inductively that Christ is the Divine Son of God and that He was sent to this earth to redeem mankind. The sermon is introduced with a literal analogy to show the possibility of the existence of Christ as a figure in history. Gener- alizing that there are people alive today‘who have no recorded birthday, yet are considered to have been born because they are seen, he affirms that though no recorded birthday is known for Christ, the fact that he was seen by thousands of people, that he walked and worked among men, is proof that He was born and lived on earth. Effect to cause relationship is stated in support of the generalization that there are people alive today who have no known birthday. In stressing the relative unimportance of knowing the exact date of Christ's birth, Richards uses a hypothetical syllogism to assert that if it had been important for man to know Christ's birthday, there would have been a clear record of the fact in the Scrip— tures. Following this syllogism, sign relationship and Scriptural authority are cited in support of the assertion that Christ lived on this earth, even though the date of His birth is not known. By the use of a figurative analogy a transition is made from the sermon introduction to the discussion. The analogy infers that just as some medieval murals of Christ's nativity were overlaid by centuries of dust and dirt, so the eternal fact of ”God with us," as well as the reason fer His coming to our world, has been overlaid with commercial dust of carnival celebration of Christmas. on We; 1'.” l‘ _ tau- r‘ie ”_L i- 266 The discussion portion of the sermon is introduced with a state- ment of the proposition. In the proposition itself are two basic assertions and two causal arguments. The first assertion is to the effect that Christ came to this earth to redeem a lost race, the second assertion is that He became God with us as a means to that redemption. Between these assertions Richards offers two effect to cause arguments, which are not elaborated on, to show why Christ must take human nature. The remaining portion of the first division of the discussion contains two arguments from Scriptural authority. The first text of Scripture is Richards' favorite verse from John 3:16, which is the test- imony of Christ epitomizing the Gospel. The second text, from St. Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, is stated to indicate the more specific meaning of the appelation "Emmanuel" as applied to Christ. The section closes with reaffirmation of the thesis: "Our Saviour came to this world as the divine Son of God in order to bring us eternal hope and salvation.” The second division of the sermon discussion sets forth an ex- tensive series of arguments relative to Christ's pre-existence before His mission to this world and His unique qualifications to become man's redeemer. In the first argument Richards cites Christ's words from John 17:5, indicating that He was with the Father before the creation of the world, and then remarks, "That's clear isn't it? He was with the Father before the world was, He was with the Father in glory." In further support of this argument, a second reference to Scripture authority is made, again quoting the words of Christ. In the next series‘of arguments Richards attempts to show that Christ lived before Bethlehem because he is the Creator and Sustainer of {QT' Mid.“ “ ‘ 'fil-flfl '- w 4 -—s-. 267 the universe. This line of argument is begun by a credo statement to the effect that Christ "is the eternal Son of God, the second personv of the Holy Trinity, God manifested in the flesh, the living Saviour." Short arguments to this point follow in quick succession, (l) Richards asserts that Christ's birth in Bethlehem was not His beginning, that He had no beginning. These assertions are supported by a Scriptural state- ment from Micah.in the Old Testament, (2) Scripture testimony from St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians attributing creation to Christ, (3) two examples of Christ's creative work, the starry heavens, and the earth, in elaboration of two Bible texts which repeat the argument that Christ created all things, and (h) a parenthetical argument based on the gospel of John to indicate that Christ as creator was God's word made audible and visible. With his arguments seeking to establish Christ as Creator com- pleted, Richards argues further from Scriptural authority that not only is Christ the Creator but He is also the providential sustainer of the universe. Quoting from Colossians 1:17 which says: "and he is before all things, and by him ell things consist," he defines the term "consist," and in the form of causal relationship asserts that: The entire universe would explode into a chaos of atoms and electrons but for the power of Jesus Christ. His hand guides them in their ceaseless vibrations. In Him is the cohesion and order of the universe. Two additional references to the Scriptures close this part of the argu- ment. The final line of argument of the second division is intended to show that only Christ, the creator and sustainer, could bring man back to God. This assertion is supported by a chain of cause and effect reas- oning as follows: 268 1. Only He who was God could, by becoming man, save man from sin and its wages, death. 2. He who was equal with God must humble Himself as a man, even to death itself, in order to meet and defeat and destroy Satan, ransom sinners with the price of His own blood, and open a heaven to a lost race. 3. He must become man's substitute and die in his place. a. He must be smitten of God and separated from God that men might be forgiven of God and reunited with God. 5. He must die that men might live. 6. In short, He was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. The last division of the discussion employs a variety of arguments to establish the work and position of Christ in carrying out the plan of salvation with regards to His relationship to God the Father, and con- cerning His claims to deity. This division opens with the question, F.._...._ —.—-ex _4 “Q- —~ - 3- "Would He do it? Did He do it?” In the first two divisions Richards affirms that only Christ could redeem mankind; now he wishes to show that the Son of God stepped down from His exalted position to become the Son of man, and while still claiming deity carried out the plan of salvation in revealing God to man and in reconciling God to man and man to God. 0n the authority of Scripture, Richards answers his own questions. "Yes, Christ did come, and as Son of man and Son of God he did reconcile God and man.” The means of this reconciliation is stated in causal language. Men.were reconciled by Christ's power, love, mercy, compan- ionship, truth, light, and salvation. To show Christ's relationship to God the Father, two examples from Scripture are cited. The first is taken from the Scripture nar- rative describing Christ's first visit to the temple when he said to his parents, ”I must be about my Father's business." (Luke 2zh9) The second is from the Scripture account of Christ's healing on the Sabbath, at which time he claimed authority to act as his Father did in the same 269 'sphere of ceaseless activity and creative power. The intent of the examples is to demonstrate that Christ claimed to be the Son of God in an entirely different way than that in which mortal men become sons of God through faith, that in reality Christ was the divine Son of God. To strengthen his argument, Richards appeals to the meaning of one verse as found in the original Greek indicating that Christ by stating that God was His Father meant also that He was equal with God. The final three arguments are more directly concerned with Christ's specific statements claiming deity for Himself. The first statement is the most definite as Christ declared "I and my Father are one." (John 10:30) The fact that Christ was referring to his deity is based !.. ‘_—— - ———_‘<— r‘nvfi upon further Scriptural authority that the Jews sought to kill him "because that thou being a man maksst thyself Cod." Richards employs a figurative analogy taken from a historical incident to introduce the scriptural statement in which Christ claims equal honor with God the Father. This is followed by Christ's declaration in John 5:22 that "He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him." The third Scriptural statement of Christ's is more subtle and draws on Old Testament background where one of the titles of deity is "I AM." In the setting of the New Testament statement Christ assumes this title and thus makes further claim to deity. The summary statement following the last of Christ's own words claiming deity reaffirms the arguments in the proposition and discussion that Christ is God as well as man, that He cannot be our Saviour unless He is divine, that he is divine because he is our Creator, and that as the creative "Light” he came into darkness that we might enter into His light. 270 The conclusion contains one final Scriptural statement which sums up the sermon, and one final assertive sentence, "Jesus revealed God, and God is love." Ethical persuasion.—-There are no explicit statements in this sermon in which Mr. Richards makes direct reference to his own character, or in which he openly asserts his coupetence and intelligence. HOwever, the manner in which Richards discusses his sermon pro- position, and the skillful use he makes of Scripture could be perceived by radio listeners as indicative of his knowledge of theology and his right and authority to speak on the subject of the divinity of Christ. By significant use of the personal pronouns ”we," ”us,” and "our," Richards identifies himself with his audience. Phrases like these are found all through the sermon under consideration: "we thank God for it;" "we may be moved with pity;" "we are liable to forget;" "our Saviour came . . . to bring us eternal hope and salvation;" "He was treated as we deserve;" and ”Jesus cannot be our Saviour unless He is first our Lord." Richards' personal faith in what he says is implied in his posi- tive statements regarding the deity and power of Christ. Observe the note of personal conviction implicit in the following statements: He had no beginning; He was never created. In Him is the cohesion and order of the universe. He and He alone could bring man back to God. What Jesus said about Himself on this subject is as clear as it can be. A final demonstration of ethical persuasion in this sermon is that of his earnestness and concern. For example, note his comment on the meaning of Christmas: 271 For centuries it has been overlaid with traditional varnish, with commercial dust and dirt, until it has become only the sweet story of a baby in a manger, for whom we may be moved with pity; or the occasion of organized commercialized vulgar carnival and celebration, so that millions today fail to see the glorious, wonderful, majestic, and eternal fact of the Emmanuel, God with us. Motivational appeals.--The motivational materials calculated to put the audience in a frame of mind suitable for response to Richards' ideas are indicated here in the sequence in which they occur in his "'7'? sermon. These materials are selected on the basis of the discussion in Chapter Four regarding Richards' general use of motivational appeals. In the introduction the first appeal is to sentiment as Richards . fl--0;.m. : 0" and. ‘L. speaks of ”the twenty-fifth of December, which is popularly called Christmas." The association of Christ with this well-known holiday might also be considered as a common ground or atmosphere appeal since the ser- mon was delivered two days before the celebration of Christmas. Two additional appeals are found in the introduction. The first is an appeal to an'attitude of reverence for Christ and is brought to the attention of the hearers with the words "He healed the sick, raised the dead, spoke as 'never man spake' before or since. . . . He was born and we thank God for it." The second and last appeal in the introduction is an indirect appeal to reputation and status as found in Richards' commentary on how the real meaning of Christmas has been lost by large numbers of people and that because of the commerical and carnival con- ception of Christmas, millions fail to see the more wonderful and eternal fact namely, "God with us." In the preposition of the sermon Richards appeals to the innate desire for self-preservation and at the same time appeals to a sense of religious values by affirming that Christ came to redeem a lost race and 272 for that reason He assumed human nature. Near the close of the first division of the discussion the same appeal is made in the sentence ”our Saviour came to this world as the divine Son of God in order to bring us eternal hope and salvation." Motivational impact in the first arguments of the second division of the sermon is based on the discussion of Christ's creative power. The indirect appeal here is for the listener to link himself to the One 7 who is the all powerful Creator. At the end of this division, where Richards summarizes the qualifications of Christ to be man's redeemer, ' appeal is made to a sense of reverence and worship and to a sense of 3‘". a. "" " 3V ‘1 ‘H values predicated on what Christ was willing to do and what man gains because of Christ's sacrifice. The appeal reaches its climax in the eipgrammatic statement "He was treated as we deserve that we might be treated as He deserves." Richards makes his dominant appeal to religious values and rev- erence in the third part of his sermon outline with the words, "power," ”love,” ”mercy," "companionship,” "truth," "light," "salvation," and "honor." The evident tone of the discussion is that Christ the divine Son of God came down to give man another chance, an invaluable chance, and therefore should be honored and loved in return. A strong appeal to honor is implied in the historical analogy used as part of the argu- ment attesting to Christ's claim to deity. .Motivation in the summary of the third division of the outline is toward sentiment and religious value as Richards declares the impor- tance of knowing and believing that Christ is God as well as man, and Saviour as well as Creator; and further, that man is in desperate darkness without Christ as the Light of his world. 273 The final appeal is found in the conclusion and is again to religious values and sentiment. These appeals in the form of a direct statement saying that ”Jesus revealed God, and God is love," are also implied in a poem quoted from the works of John Greenleaf Whittier. Sermon Structure and Arrangement Rhetorical analysis of the factors of arrangement in this part- icular sermon will be based on a consideration of (l) the emergence of Em” the sermon theme and proposition, (2) sermon plan, and (3) the arrange- : ment of materials‘within the sermon structure. . z Emergence of theme and proposition.--The theme of this sermon is i u’ occasional in that it presents a Christmas theme, and it is also theo- logical in nature. Following his usual custom of noting national holi- days with subjects peculiar to the day, Richards includes in this sermon the Christmas theme as in his introduction he speaks of contemporary attitudes toward the celebration of Christ's nativity and introduces the larger theological theme of Christ's incarnation on this earth and his subsequent redemptive work in behalf of mankind. This theme then appears in each division of the sermon in a form consistent with the line of argument being presented. The theme appears again in the con- clusion and is finally repeated in the two poems which complete the broadcast. The proposition emerges in one paragraph at the beginning of the sermon discussion, is elaborated on in the discussion proper, and appears again at the end of the discussion as the last argument is summed up: So what Jesus said about Himself . . . is as clear as can be. Who is He? He is God as well as man. . ... Jesus cannot be our Saviour unless He is first our Lord, and only the Creator could redeem the created. He who was the Light of the world came into our darkness that we might enter into His light. 27“ The Sermon Plan.--The discussion portion of Richards' sermon appears to be arranged in a combination plan which follows both the historical and logical order. According to the historical basis of division, the material of the sermon is arranged in chronological order to include the life of Christ before and after His incarnation. More apparent is the arrangement of the sermon materials in inductive sequence to support the main propoaition. The following skeleton outline indicates Richards' emf use of the historical and logical patterns: I. We are likely to forget that Jesus came, not to propound an idea, but to do a work. , A. He came to redeem a lost race. B. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten f, son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish LJ but have everlasting life. ' C. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. D. Our Saviour came to this world to bring us eternal hape and salvation. II. What about the pre-existence of the Son of God? A. Did His life really begin at Bethlehem? B. Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, God manifested in the flesh, the living Saviour. C. He and He alone, could bring man back to God. III. Would He do it? Did He do it? A." Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Jesus was the Son of man, and He was the Son of God. He reconciled God to men. He recognized God as His Father. He claimed God as His Father. He claimed deity. He cannot be our Saviour unless He is first our Lord, and only the Creator could redeem the created. Q'UP'IUON Arrangement of Materials within the sermon structure.--The intro- duction of this sermon is rather lengthy in comparison with the proportion of time given to the main discussion and the conclusion. In the intro- duction Richards uses two illustrations and two Bible texts to prepare the audience for discussion of the central theme of the sermon. The opening illustration uses that which is familiar to the average listener 275 to explain an unfamiliar fact introducing the sermon theme. The second illustration is used to make a transition from the introduction to the first point in the body of the sermon. The introduction suggests the theme in the last words before the discussion. The discussion, following a plan of inference, presents a state- ment or question which is supported or answered by particulars and further supported by Scriptural testimony. In the first division of the dis- cussion Richards makes the statement that Christ came to redeem a lost race. This is followed by the particulars of Christs' becoming a man, yet remaining God; and Christ being "God with us" came to accomplish the "atoning sacrifice." The order of argument is clear. Christ's own words are used as the strongest evidence in support of the Opening state- ment of the speaker. In the second division the pattern is repeated in discussion the pre-existence of Christ. The statement is made that Christ was with the Father before the world was created. The first elab- orative statement is that of Christ claiming existence before the found- ation of the world. This is followed by inductive reasoning setting forth the creation event as proof of Christ's pre-existence and ends with the inescapable conclusion that if you accept the first part of the argument, then it follows that only Christ, the Son of God, the Creator of man, could bring man back to God the Father. In the third division of the discussion the pattern is present but is not as clearly evident because the particulars are implied by Scripture narration. How- ever, transition sentences like "We find another saying of our Lord Jesus Christ on this subject. . . ." or "And now one final saying of our Lord regarding His claim to deity. . . ." assist the listener in following the line of argument. 276 The sermon is concluded with a Scriptural summary of the prin- cipal ideas and closes with two portions of poetry. The conclusién is brief, almost abrupt. Elaboration is accomplished by exposition of Scripture, definition, illustration, implicative statements, and brief summaries. Transitions within the sermon are accomplished by statements of the theme, or by rhetorical questions implying the theme. While the sermon expresses a variety of ideas in setting forth the theme, there is evident unity centered in the single idea of the sermon. The thoughts of each part of the sermon follow one another according to logical sequence of ideas to give continuity. Proportion in the sermon is not symmetrical. A lengthy introduction is followed by a short first division of the discussion, a longer second division, and a much longer third division, which is followed by an abrupt con- clusion. Adaptation of the Sermon to the Radio Audience Stylistic adaptation of the materials of this sermon appears to be dictated by the didactic nature of the material presented; the implied purposes of the speaker to convince the audience of Christ's divinity and to actuate them to personally accept Him as their Saviour; and the amount of time allotted for presentation. Choice of words.--Mr. Richards' method of teaching doctrine is by copious use of Scriptural reference with minimum elaboration in between. This method of teaching influences his choice of language in the sermon ' "What Jesus Said About Himself" to the extent that a large proportion of the words outside of Bible texts are either Biblical in nature or connote Bible themes. A sampling of the words found in this sermon re- veals the Biblical trend: 277 Advent sin ~ save reconcile honor eternal truth ransom mercy revealed redeem hope smitten companionship deeds lost pre-existence forgiven messages Saviour incarnation glory reunited light darkness salvation Holy Trinity treated deity love To the uninitiated, the choice of Scriptural language would pre- sent ambiguity and vague connotative associations except that Richards appears to explain his terms in the context in which they are used. For example, he uses the name "Emmanuel," and follows it with its Hebrew meaning, "God with us." The word "incarnation" if followed with the phrase, "Christ's coming in human flesh." And again, in speaking of Christ as a ransom for lost sinners, Richards says in his next sentence, "He must become man's substitute and die in his place." Even Bible words are defined where it is thought definition is necessary, as in the case of the word "consist" from Colossians 1:17, where the meaning “to hold together" immediately follows the Bible word. In addition to thematic words, the language of reasoning is im- plied in transitions and in summary statements in the discussion. Phrases like these are found: "Did Jesus say that? He did;" "the truth is that . . . ;H "his own words settle that question forever;" "the Bible teaches that;” "that's clear isn't it;" "from this it is clear;" "as clear as it can be;" and "anyone who reads the verses which follow‘will see clearly." The use of simple words is noticeable. The average length of word appears to be five letters, with few words exceeding three syllables. A brief excerpt illustrates the simplicity element of Richards' style: He, and He alone, could bring man back to God. Only He who was God could, by becoming man, save man from sin and its wages, death. He who was equal with God must humble Himself as a man, even to death itself, in order to meet and defeat and de- stroy Satan, ransom sinners with the price of His own blood, and open heaven to a lost race. ' 278 One other aspect of Richards' choice of words is noticeable. In identifying with his audience he uses the personal pronoun "we" and "our" nineteen times, these being scattered throughout the sermon. The use of the pronoun "you" found in the appeals of Richards' other radio sermons is conspicuously absent in this one. Structural adaptation of words.--Mr. Richards' overall choice and arrangement of words reveal the economy of style generally found in radio communication. There are llh sentences in this sermon, many of which are simple declarative or compound sentences averaging from ten to fifteen words in length. Sentences which are exclamatory and interrog- ative are used sporadically. The shortest sentence has only two words, while the longest sentence contains sixty-six words. Examples of the ' short sentences which move the sermon theme briskly along in a direct manner pointing to the oral style are these picked at random from the sermon discussion: ~ 'He was with the Father before the world was. He was with the Father in glory. The starry heavens are the work of His hands. The earth is his for he made it. He was God's Word made audible and visible. He and He alone could bring man back to God. He is God as well as man. This is what he said about himself. “An average sentence is this one taken from the third division of the discussion: "In the words and way in which He claimed God as His Father, His contemporaries, those who heard Him, understood Him to mean that He Himself was divine in nature." 279 The longest sentence, containing sixty-six words, is interesting in the emotive ideas it presents: For centuries it Christmas has been overlaid with traditional varnish, with commercial dust and dirt, until it has become only the sweet story of a baby in a manger, for whom we may be moved with pity; or the occasion of organized, com- mercialized, vulgar carnival and celebration, so that millions today fail to see the glorious, wonderful, majestic, and eternal fact of the Emmanuel, God with us. Considering structural adaptation from the viewpoint of paragraph framework, investigation reveals that the short paragraph is found fre- quently in this sermon. Of the thirty-three paragraphs making up the sermon, ten have three sentences or less. The longer paragraphs are found mainly in the narrative portions of the sermon. It appears that Richards attempts to give cameos of thought which set forth his theme and thesis in as concise and clear a manner as possible. The structure of each paragraph follows a pattern found in most of Richards' sermons. The paragraphs begin with a topic sentence and move in thought sequence to a climax, which is expressed either in sen- tence form or by a verse of Scripture. Often phrases of Scripture are interspersed with the speaker's own words in completing the paragraph. The middle paragraphs of his sermon will exemplify the climax development which is found throughout the structure of the sermon: Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, God manifested in the flesh, the living Saviour. His birth in Bethlehem was not His beginning. He had no beginning; He was never created. His 'goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.’ Micah 5:2 The Bible says that 'God . . . created all things by Jesus Christ.‘ Eph- esians 3:9 The starry heavens are the work of His hands. The earth is His, for He made it. We are told that-- 'All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.’ John 1:3 He was God's Word made audible and visible . 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.‘ John 1:1 280 The main structural devices used for securing listener interest are antithesis, repetition, rhetorical questions, questions with accom- panying answers, and contractions. The following examples are typical of these devices: Antithesis 1’ a. . . . He was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as he deserves. b. He who was the Light of the world came into our darkness that we might enter into his light. Repetition a. He reconciled God to men by His power, His love, His mercy, His companionship, His truth, His light, and His salvation. " b. He, and he alone could bring man back to God, He must become man's substitute and die in His place. He must be smitten of God : . . . He must die that men might live. Rhetorical questions a. That's clear isn't it? b. He healed a man on the Sabbath dayb-and what day would be more appropriate for an act that so greatly glorified God? Question and answer a. What about the pre-existence of the Son of God? Did His life really begin at Bethlehem? His own words settle that question forever. b. ’Would He do it? Did He do it? The Scripture says . . . . c. Who is He? He is God as well as man. Is this important? Remember, Jesus cannot be our Saviour unless he is first our Lord, and only the Creator could redeem the created. Contractions a. That's clear isn't it? b. That's the way Christ's hearers understood. . . . 281 Any indication of rhythmical prose that appears to be intentionally . induced is negligible in this sermon. The language pattern is smooth and free and occasionally poetic in manner, but the logical preciseness which dominates the sentence structure seems to dominate rhythm. If there is observable lack of rhythm in the sermon, it is compensated for in the cadence found in the Scriptural reference frequently quoted. Eigurative elements.--Embellishment and ornamentation are not found in any great degree in any of Richards' sermons. Therefore, it is not surprising to find only a few scattered examples of figurative lan- guage in the sermon being considered here. By the use of adjectives he achieves a certain amount of-imagery as he speaks of "exquisite paintings," "wonderful murals," "radiant beauty," "ceaseless vibrations," or the ”glorious, wonderful, majestic, and eternal fact of the Emmanuel. . . ." Only three metaphors are found in the sermon. In his introduction Richards tells of the ”traditional varnish and the commercial dust and dirt which has overlaid the meaning of Christmas," and in the last section of the sermon calls Christ the ”Light of the world." Alliteration is the most widely used figurative device in the sermon.. Sentences throughout the sermon carry such alliterative phrases as: "authentig colors gaught by gamera;" Hperfect parable;" "sweet Story;" ”organized, commercialized, vulgar carnival and celebration;" ”audible and visible;" "smitten of God and separated from God;" "the gprds and. gsyg" ngeat y glorified;" fidefeat and destroy;" and "These gritics of His game back at Him with this . . . ." Delivery of the Sermon Since this sermon was delivered by transcription in December of -‘_.-_--‘~ ...fi- " J “ l“ 282 O 1956 before this study was begun, it is not possible to discuss the visual factors of delivery such as posture, gesture, and facial ex- pression. Therefore, only the oral factors of voice attributes and intelligibility are described as they were found by listening to the taped message. i In a baritone voice Richards begins this sermon at the lower end of his pitch range, and except in those instances in which he introduces dramatic anger or intense concern there is no abrupt variation in the pitch pattern. The inflection pattern in the sentences varies according to the emotional tone inherent in the thought sequence. The voice always drops when Scripture is being read or when the name of the deity is uttered. There is no indication of an offensive tonal pattern such as the ”holy whine" or monotone. The quality of Richards' voice in delivering this sermon may be described as a little husky, a quality not noticeable in others of his transcribed sermons. The emotional tone of empathy or personal feeling for the listeners appears evident in the sermon delivery. This ethical component of Richards' voice suggests a genuine love for people and a seriousness and devotion to a cause. ‘The force component of the voice is described as that found in extended conversation except that it is modified so that there is no appearance of undue loudness or softness as is the case in some platform speaking. Emphasis is gained from the stress placed on words and syl- lables. The rate of utterance for the sermon is approximately 145 words per minute, ten words below Richards' usual rate of delivery. The ser- mon begins at a slow rate and picks up in a tempo which is varied 283 according to the choice and arrangement of language. Then there is a noticeable increase in the rate near the end of the sermon which grad- ually slows down in the appeal and the recitation of the closing verses of Scripture and poetry. It will be observed from comparing the text of the sermon found in the script in Appendix (VII) with that found in the substance outline of the sermon found in Appendix (VI) that Richards has done considerable cutting in his sermon beginning with the second -mm division of the discussion. In cutting these portions from the sermon, 5 he does not hesitate in his delivery, rather, the rate follows the pattern found in those sermons where little or no cutting has been done. Richards' use of the pause is not always consistent with the grammatical phrasing of his sentences. Occasionally he pauses in the midst of a sentence where there is no pause required. Otherwise, the pauses occur where they are most effective and often enough to give the audience time to absorb the thought of the sentence or words preceding the pause. Regarding pronunciation, there is no significant deviation from the General American dialect considered acceptable for radio speech. Summary In the case study presented in this chapter, an attempt has been made to examine in detail one complete sermon to determine to what degree the rhetorical constituents found in this sermon are similar to those found in the larger survey analysis of all Richards' sermons as de- scribed in Chapter IV. The choice of sermon subject and title parallel the usual choice; and the sources of material correspond with those from which Richards usually draws his inventive ideas, the Bible being the primary source. 28h The sermon proposition for this doctrinal sermon appears character- istically at the beginning of the sermon and then is elaborated on in- ductively in the main discussion which follows. In the logical argument, Richards employs analogies, examples, and causal argument, relying mainly on Scriptural authority, which in this sermon is the personal testimony of Christ concerning His nature and mission. , In matters of ethical persuasion the choice of words and the adaptation of arguments to the audience is of a nature which customarily implies knowledge and authority, identification with an audience, and personal concern for the audience. ...-q-m-n~ aw. " v {fi'x‘iafitm The motivational appeals found in the single sermon are comparable with those used in much of Richards' radio preaching. Appeals to rev- erence, sentiment, religious values, and self-preservation are found most frequently. In matters of arrangement the sermon theme emerges in the intro- duction and is expressed in numerous ways in the rest of the sermon. The sermon plan follows a logical order, employing historical order where necessary in stating arguments in favor of the sermon proposition. This sermon is not similar to other of Richards' sermons in the proportion of its parts. The introduction is long, the conclusion is abrupt, and the divisions of the discussion vary noticeably in size. 'In matters of style, Richards' choice of words is simple yet expressive. Thematic words and the language of reasoning epitomize his gword choice. The arrangement of the language of the sermon is much like that of other sermons in the number of sentences and paragraphs. The structure of the paragraphs is also consistent. The few figurative elements found in the sermon are akin to those in the other sermons. 285 Ascertainable factors of delivery indicate corresponding qualities of voice and diction characteristic in Richards' delivery throughout his years of broadcasting. In general, the rhetorical usage set forth in Chapter IV from the larger selection of sermons closely parallels the usage found in the sermon "What Jesus Said About Himself." CHAPTER VI AUDIENCE RESPONSE TO RICHARDS' PREACHING Critics of oratory are generally agreed that listener response is the chief determinant of the effectiveness of the speaker and his message. In the formal speaking situation it is assumed that the speaker prepares and delivers his messages with the intent of communi- cating ideas in such a way that they will immediately or subsequently influence the behavior of the listener in a manner consistent with the speaker's purpose. By employing modes of persuasion to which an audience will generally respond, the speaker may predict certain responses; but not until he gets direct feed-back response from individual listeners, or is able to note behavior changes, can the speaker determine to what degree his immediate attempts to persuade are successful. The assaying of any ultimate, societal, response is difficult. Except where eventual influences appear obvious, it is almost impossible to trace direct causal 'relations between speeches and their long range effects. The problems of determining audience response to messages commun- icated through the medium of radio are inherently unique. Without face- to-face contact with his audience, the radio speaker is not able to ob- serve any direct feed-back response during delivery in terms of body attitudes, facial expressions, gestures, or other expressions of reaction. Much of the decision or action following response made to the speakers' message will never be known to him simply because the hearer does not 287 take the trouble to inform the speaker of his response. The radio speaker is, therefore, dependent upon phone response, letter response, direct mail surveys, individual interviews by broadcast representatives, or other response-eliciting contrivances for whatever degree of response he is able to ascertain. And even this type of response is difficult to analyze, for as William Albig suggests: The effects of broadcasting on interests, attitudes and Opinions are so numerous, varied, and subtle, and so ill under- stood they defy analysis of any complete and exact kind. Despite the fact that response in many instances defies analysis, it may be described when it is evoked; and where there is explicit state- ment of decisions made or actions taken which are attributed to specific speeches, the composite may be used to infer at least the relative effec- tiveness of the radio speaker's work. In the attempt to describe and analyze perceptible audience re- sponse to Mr. Richards' communication of religious thought by means of radio three approaches will be made. In the first part of this chapter, the regular mail response to the Voice of Prophecy broadcast will be classified and described. In the second section, analysis will be made of response to the Voice of Prophecy broadcast as determined by a listener.questionnairé. In the final portion, comparison will be made between responses made to Richards' radio preaching and his pulpit preaching: Classification and Description of the Mail Response to the voice of Prophecy Broadcast Methods of elicitingfimail response.--Unsolicited, spontaneous, 1William Albig, Mbdern Public Opinion (New Ybrk: McGraw Hill Company, Inc., 1956), p.2h58. 288 mail response is a desideratum worked for by radio broadcasters, but it has been discovered that to build the volume of mail response to a broadcast it is necessary to adapt various methods for eliciting this additional response. When Mr. Richards began broadcasting coast to coast in l9h2, he invited his radio audience each week to write him asking for a copy of his radio sermon. He also invited his audience to write asking their F“ questions on the Bible or about his sermon subjects. With the institution % of the first Bible correspondence course and with the offering of sub- E sequent courses, commercials were given at the beginning and end of the 2 program offering the courses free to those who would write asking for L} them. The prayer circle feature of the VOice of PrOphecy broadcast be- came another avenue of soliciting mail response as listeners were in- vited to send in their prayer requests. Later, as the Voice of PrOphecy ministerial staff grew, the listeners were invited to write in asking for free counsel on personal problems. In the voice of PrOphecy news, which is sent automatically to each person who writes in, or who is taking the correspondence courses, there are similar approaches to eliciting further mail response. Fre- quently there appears in the E232 a small advertisement with such words as: "Your letter means a lot: Let us hear from you today," or ”Write us giving the station or stations on which you can hear the voice of Pro- phecy broadcast." In H233 articles noting the progress of the broadcast ,there are indirect appeals to the reader to send contributions to help in the support of the broadcast. A list of names of those who have given large donations or memorial gifts to extend the broadcast appears periodically in the News to.suggest indirectly the plan to still other 289 listeners. Answers to prayer excerpted from Voice of Prophecy corres- pondence are printed from time to time along with testimonial comments about the broadcast, and the invitation is extended to all who wish prayer or who wish to comment on the broadcast to write in. Coupons for enrolling in each of the Bible correspondence courses are a regular part of the monthly paper. Advertisements of free religious materials, cal- endars, and books also appear in the paper. In addition to each of these methods of eliciting response to the broadcast through the mail, Mr. Richards in his closing words on the broadcast often makes mention of the current mail response, thanking the listeners for their thoughtfulness in writing andpersonally inviting them to continue writing. volume and sources of mail response.--The volume of mail received each year at the voice of Prophecy headquarters is noted in Table I, which follows: TABLE 1 VOLUME OF MAIL RESPONSE TO THE VOICE OF PROPHECY RADIO BROADCAST'FROM UNITED STATES LISTENERS Year Number of Letters l9h2 223,828 19h3 311,173 19uu 396,087 19h5 555,51u 1946 562,608 l9h7 605,678 1948 ulS,905 19h9 h53,955 1950 512,587 1951 50h,287 1952 588,940 1953 609,198 195k 558,705 1955 525,1h2 1956 528,186 War r : ’f‘T-sr —‘T.! «5. .' 290 TABLE 1 continued.--2 W Year Number of Letters 1957 565,165 1958 600,759 1959 577,599 1960 5hl,266 Total 9,636,582 m These letters, averaging 1600 to 1700 each day in number, come F“‘ from every state in the United States, but chiefly from California. The letters come from persons of all ages, but mainly adults, a large per- centage of whom are women. The education and occupation factors of audience analysis are seldom divulged in this general mail response, ;1 but where it is noted the level of education is found to be beyond the eighth grade. The occupations are those followed by persons in the middle and upper middle classes of society in the United States. Re- ligious comment in the letters indicates that the correspondents are mostly Protestant and are usually members of a church. Letters from members of the Seventh-day Adventist church dominate the mail response. A large portion of the letters received each day at the head- quarters of the voice of PrOphecy are addressed personally to Richards.3 People from all walks of life and from all age groups write freely and intimately to Richards concerning their lives. Mr. Richards numbers among his correspondents governors, lawyers, physicians, teachers, ministers, members of Congress, and members of state legislatures.“ 2Voice of Prophecy_Annual Financial Reports for year ended December 31, 1960, p. 22 3Interview with Margaret Fuller, private secretary to H. M. S. Richards, dated August 7, 1961. “Arthur S. Maxwell, "Religion by Radio," Signs of the Times, vol. 82, (January 18, 1955), p. 14. 291 Classification and description of mail response.--The letter re- sponse received each week by the voice of PrOphecy may be classified as (l) correspondence school response, (2) request response, (3) contri- bution response, (4) decision response, and (5) testimonial response. Correspondence School Response The greatest volume of mail response to the Voice of Prophecy program is elicited by means of the Bible correspondence courses which are advertised on the broadcast each week. Mr. Richards offers free correspondence courses on doctrinal and devotional subjects of the Bible for all age groups from school age on; for the major foreign language groups; and for special groups such as the blind, and alcoholics. When a listener decides to take the course, he sends a letter requesting to be enrolled in the course of his choice. Upon enrollment and subsequently the student is mailed lessons regularly along with test answer sheets which are to be filled out and returned to the Voice of Prophecy headquarters. Each member of the Bible school teaching staff at the voice of PrOphecy is given a certain number of students with whom to work in grading lesson examinations, answering any questions the student might have, taking personal interest in their programs, and in- viting them to continue listening to the voice of PrOphecy broadcast. Individuals who'finish the courses for which they enroll receive a grad- uation certificate for their achievement. . Table II indicates the number of correspondence school graduates in the United States from 1942 to l96l: 292 TABLE 2 VOICE OF PROPHECY CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL GRADUATESS Year Number of Bible School graduates 1942 19u3 4,3706 1944 6,073 1945 12,307 1946 13,797 1947 17,570 1948 16,837 1949 13,389 1950 12,659 1951 14,610 1952 15,583 1953 19,880 1954 19,739 1955 16,669 1956 15,930 1957 18,700 1958 22,953 1959 23,549 1960 21,825 Total 286,440 Request Response Mail respOnse to Mr. Richards' weekly invitation to his listeners to write him requesting cOpies of his sermons, special prayer, answers to questions, and help with personal problems, averages approximately sixty per cent counseling and prayer requests and forty per cent all other requests.7 5Voice of Prophecy Miscellaneous Reports, 1960. 6Combined figure for 1942 and 1943. 7InterviewHwith W. S. Jesske, Director of Voice of Prophecy Interest Division, dated August 7, 1961. .293 Most of the requests for counsel are for advice on marital problems, financial problems, love and courtship problems, problems of mental illness, juvenile delinquent problems, and spiritual problems. The counseling requests are usually accompanied by requests for prayer by the VOice of PrOphecy group. Many of the request letters specifically ask for prayer for such things as victory over personal habits, help in finding work, conversion of members of the family, healing from sickness, and guidance in choosing a life's vocation or a life's companion. Typical of the prayer requests are these two excerpted from the Voice of ProphecygNews: My husband and I are both ill, and he is out of work. We have three beautiful children and are often hungry. Please pray for us. Michigan My daughter lost her only little girl in March, and now is expecting another child. She has grieved till she has nearly lost her mind. She is 38 years old, and I am asking you to remember her in prayer that she and the new baby will be all right. ‘ Michigan8 Letters requesting answers to Bible questions are handled by the 'Division of Biblical Research at the Voice of Prophecy headquarters. Because questions on the Bible are repeated in many letters, those ap-' pearing most frequently are saved and answered by Mr. Richards over the air once each month in a question-and-answer period. Ten of the questions most frequently asked are listed here for interest: . Do you consider all of the Bible inspired? Who made the Devil? ' What does the Bible say about death and resurrection? How can I be saved? How will God's kingdom be established here on earth? . What about baptism? Is it necessary? How should I be baptized? - omeMr-a O 8Voice of prqphecy News, Vol. XVI, (October, 1958), p. 2. 294 7. ‘Do you believe in the virgin birth of Christ? 8. Do you believe in an eternally burning hell? 9. How can I have my prayers answered? 10. Why do you keep the 'Jewish Sabbath'? The final segment of request response is that found in the letter requests for Mr. Richards' sermons, books, of the month, or literature on specific subjects. Copies of sermons on the subjects "State of the Dead," "The Law," and "The Sabbath," are most frequently requested. Contribution Response In all of his radio broadcasting Mr. Richards has never directly appealed to his audience for financial support. The only appeal for funds made by the Voice of Prophecy group is in the monthly newsletter, the. VOice of PrOphecy News. A VOluntary contributions in response to Richards' program have amounted to $12,793,154.73 for the nineteen year period considered in this study. The average donation in each letter through this period has been $1.32.9 Table III shows the annual amounts contributed to the Voice of Prophecy from 1942 to 1961: TABLE 3 CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED BY THE VOICE OF PROPHECY BROADCAST FROM LISTENERS IN THE UNITED STATES .Year Mail Contributions 1942 $ 206,871.22 1943 315,651.49 1944 420,273.15 1945 $28,637.50 1946 584,777.01- 1947 587,203.14 1943 601,042.68 1949 630,097.08 9Voice of Prophecy Annual Financial Reports for year ended December 31, 1960, p. 22. ‘ 295 TABLE 3 continued Year Mail Contributions 1950 $ 693,697.44 1951 735,755.76 1952 734,822.38 1953 741,550.48 1954 747,120.52 1955 749,811.81 1956 847,974.63 1957 861,608.17 1958 871,375.41 1959 ‘ 939,184.90 1960 . 995,699.96 Total $12,793,154.73 The letters accompanying the contributions which make up the annual figure are similar to these taken from the treasuere's file: Enclosed is $34. For some time I have been trying to collect a bill, not expecting to get it either. I told God that if He would cause that family to pay me I would give the amount, minus the tithe, to The VOice of PrOphecy. And there it came, paid in full: God was just saving it for you. Oregon, June, 1956 I am enclosing $1 which my little grandson gave me to send you. He has a paper route and gets out very early in the morning to make his deliveries. He sets aside part of the income from his paper route for missionary work, and this is part of that money. vermont, August, 1959 Decision Response The nature of inner response to sermonic discourse is complex and difficult to measure apart from the individual's own testimony cOn- cerning what has taken place in his life and concerning what decisions he has made or intends to make as a result of hearing a given sermon. The Christian church uses the term "conversion" to describe a change of behavior in‘an individual from life that is purely secular, moral, or immoral, to a spiritual life of personal commitment to God, 296 submitting the will, or the power to choose, for living a daily life according to the principles of Christianity as outlined in the Holy Scriptures. Descriptive terms surrounding the experience of conversion are "saved," "born again," and ”acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Saviour and ruler in the life." Two steps which usually accompany the decision of a person to accept Christ and be converted, are baptism and the joining of a church organization. Baptism is symbolic of "washing away of individual sin" in the name of the Godhead and a witness to the world of the inner change and intent to live as a Christian. Membership in a church is the sub- sequent step to strengthening the initial conversion experience. Other decisions related to the experience of being a Christian are the reading and study of the Bible, prayer, and the decision to help personally as many individuals as possible. Reports of decision response to Mr. Richards' radio preaching come in the form of listeners' letters and reports from Seventh-day Adventist ministers who baptize Voice of Prophecy converts and accept them into local Adventist churches. Table IV states the reported bap- tisms attributed to VOiCe of Prophecy influence during the years con- sidered in this study: TABLE 4 REPORTED BAPTISMS IN THE UNITED STATES A’I'I‘RIBUTED TO THE VOICE OF PROPHECY BROADCAST FROM 1942-196110 '1 Year Reported Baptisms 1942 No report available 1943 ' 224 10Voice of PrOphecy Special Summary, Baptism Comparative and Monthly Records, 1960, p. 3. C 297 TABLE 4 continued W Year Reported Baptisms 1944 390 1945 995 1946 1,030 1947 1,357 1948 989 1949 857 1950 979 1951 1,068 1952 1,174 1953 1,548 1954 1,610 1955 1,305 1956 1,382 1957 1,062 1958 1,232 1959 1,365 1960 1,155 Total 19,722 Conversion decisions are reported in the mail to the Voice of Prophecy headquarters in words similar to these: I have been as unstable as water but your radio broadcasts have helped me to decide for Christ. I want to be a true Christian. Please remember me in prayer.11 Decisions for baptism and joining the Seventh-day Adventist church are written plainly: Just a few words to tell you that your radio Sermons and books were the cause of my husband, who was born in Turkey and belonged to the Greek Orthodox church, changing to a Seventh-day Adventist before he died . . . . I am now living in Virginia and have been baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist church here.12 Regarding other types of decision response, Mr. Richards frequently receives letters telling him of listeners' decisions t0 go back to church to pay tithe, to begin reading the Bible more, to pray more earnestly, 11Voice of Prophecy News, VOl. III. (January, 1945), p. 3. 12Letter from Charleston, West Virginia listener, dated June 9, 1958. 298 to be more kind to loved ones, or to be better Christian witnesses. These decisions are usually credited to individual sermons which Richards has preached or come as a result of listening to him over a period of time. Testimonial Response Statements of regard and admiration for Mr. Richards and his work abound in the mail received at the Voice of Prophecy headquarters. Whatever adverse criticism or comment he receives by mail is directed toward his subject matter rather than to him as a person. Typical of the commendatory statements are such phrases as: "Your preaching does untold good;" "pure enjoyment;" "gives me an inspiration that nothing else does;" "thrills my soul;" and "the best program on the air." Direct comments on Mr. Richards' preaching approach speak mostly about his voice, saying that it is "soothing," "pleasing," "personal," "soft," "clear," and "kind." At times the listeners write Richards about his presentation of particular subjects, stating how the subjects are fully explained, the arguments easily followed, and the approach simple and interesting.13 For more complete statements of the testimonial nature regarding Richards and his work, attention is directed to Appendix’ (X). An Analysis of Response to the VOice of Prophecy Broadcast as Determined by a Questionnaire Nature and distribution of questionnaire.--Because the Voice of Prophecy mail response dOes not provide an adequate appraisal of the 13Jesske Interview, August 7, 1961. 299 rhetorical components in Mr. Richards' preaching, viz., invention, arrangement, style, and delivery, a questionniare covering these elements was mailed to every twentieth name in the Voice of Prophecy interest file of United States Listeners. The questionnaire and statistics of the responses are found in Appendix (VIII). The questionnaire is made up of thirty-two questions relating to the VOice of Prophecy broadcast in general and to Richards' preaching in particular. It will be observed that the specific questions on Richards' preaching do not employ the rhetorical idiom. This is de- liberate to avoid confusing the respondent and to get a less structured response yet candid and personal. Return response to the questionnaire.-qA total of 5,000 question- naires were mailed. The return response was 842 or approximately seven- teen per cent. Each of the fifty states in the United States except Kentucky, Delaware, South Carolina, and Tennessee responded to the questionnaire. California returned a total of 181 questionnaires, and each of the other responding states returned approximately five ques- tionnaires. From the answers on the questionnaires to the questions pertinent to audience analysis some general facts about the wider Voice of Prophecy radio audience are suggested. Of the 842 respondents, 624 are female and 258 male. The white and negro races predominate among the returnees with 734 white and fifty-seven negro; Orientals and Indians make up the minority groups. The majority of the respondents being found in the twenty to sixty age group. The formal education level of the group is eighth grade and above, with most of the respondents having a high school or college education. The vocations common to the middle 300 and upper middle classes in the United States are represented among the respondents. Questionnaire response to the Voice of Prophecy broadcast as a ghglg.--From the response to question one to ten in the questionnaire, Richards' regular radio audience appears to be made up of a group of listeners having one radio to which they frequently listen alone, and then mostly to religious programs. MOst of the persons of the ques- tionnaire group listen weekly to the VOice of Prophecy broadcast and have been steady listeners for over fifteen years. They began listening as the result of "just tuning in," "because they were invited," and because of "VOice of Prophecy advertising." From their answers to the question, "Do you listen to other religious broadcasts?" the response, along with the listing of such contemporary broadcasts as "The Lutheran Hour," Billy Graham's "Hour of Decision," and Doctor De Haan's "Bible Class," indicates the type of program.with which Richards' program is compared. 'Questions ten and eleven of the questionnaire ask the respondents to comment on what they liked or disliked about the Voice of Prophecy broadcast. The answers on a large percentage of the questionnaires re- veal that the entire broadcast is well liked, with the preaching of Richards best liked of the individual features of the broadcast. It is interesting to note that in answering question eleven, "What do you like least about the VOice of Prophecy broadcast?" that 503 of the respondents refrained from giving an answer to the question. Questionnaire response to Richards' radio preaching.--With respect to sermon titles it seems clear from the questionnaire that Richards' radio audience is aware of these titles and that they are of definite 301 help in listening to the radio sermon. It is further evident from re- sponse to the question on Richards' choice of subjects that the radio audience finds his subjects of relevance to their daily lives. In matters of logical argument the majority of the respondents affirmed that Richards' radio sermons are generally logical, sufficiently illustrated, and easy to follow. A small number of listeners stated that at times it was difficult for them to follow Richards in his reasoning. The only question in the questionnaire about style is concerned with intelligibility and meaning in Richards' Choice of words. Typical of the commentary response are such sentences as "Anyone could not help but understand;” and "I am glad his words are not over my head." Answers to the questions regarding motivational appeals made by Mr. Richards to his audience give definite indication that these appeals are perceived and that the audience generally knows what specific re- sponse Richards seeks to elicit by each sermon. In some cases the res- pondents feel that the sermons appeal more to reason than to impelling motives. The intent of questions twenty-two to twenty-seven of the ques- tionnaire is two-fold. The questions are primarily worded to elicit response to the delivery factor in Mr. Richards' radio preaching, but implied in the comparison question and the like-dislike questions is also the element of ethical persuasion as it might be perceived by the listener.- Those responding to the comparison question "How would you compare Richards' pulpit preaching with his radio preaching?" to a large degree rated the two modes of preaching as equally effective. On the questionnaires which rate Mr. Richards' pulpit preaching better than his radio work the usual comment accompanying the answer is "it is better because we can see him face to face." 302 In question twenty-four, in which the respondents are asked to compare Richards' preaching with that of other preachers to whom they have listened, 584 of the respondents rate Richards as a superior preacher, or equal with contemporary preachers whom they consider out- standing. A number of unsolicited additional comments appear as part of the answer to this question which indicates something of the ethical persuasion Richards has with his audience. Observe the following typical comments: "very sincere, better than much other preaching,"1u "more real,"15 "far better than any other,"16 ”superior because it is full of Scripture and less of self or men's ideas,"17 ”I believe that H. M. S. Richards is the very best,"18 "Outstanding and excellent in theme, or- ganization, and delivery,”19 "superb,"20 "I think he is about the best preacher I ever heard,"21 "Better than Billy Graham,”22 "Richards is 1I‘Re‘spondent'Number 1, Geographical location: Peru, vermont; Age: 75; Occupation: Housewife; Church Affiliation: None. (This infor- mation cited hereafter without explanation) 15Respondent # 9, Edgewater, Maryland; 20; None; None. “Respondent # l7, Redlands, California; 29; Housewife; Seventh- daypAdventist. 17Respondent # 23, Spicer, Minnesota; 49; Housewife; Lutheran. 18Respondent # 60, Hartford, Connecticut; 60; Housewife; Baptist. 19Respondent # 67, Washington, New Jersey; 53; Public High School Guidance Director; Seventh-day Adventist. 20Respondent # 153, Hamburg, New YOrk; 62; Retired; Methodist. 21Respondent # 171, Hutchinson, Minnesota; 11; Student; Seventh- day.Adventist. 22Respondent # 175, Hendersonville, North Carolina; 74; Retired Teacher; Seventh-day Adventist. 303 more convincing,"23 "he says more in ten minutes than some ministers say in an hour,"2“ "I have confidence in what he says,"25 "I can.fee1 the presence of God when he speaks,"25 and "always impressed that he is a real man of God.”27 In question.twenty-five of the questionnaire, on Richards' voice in delivery of his radio sermons, the respondents are asked to state whether or not Richards' voice is easy to listen to and then are asked to explain briefly their answers. The majority of the respondents state that they find Richards' voice easy to listen to for the following reasons: "soft,"28 "clear,"29 "calmness,”3o ”kind and loving like I think Jesus would sound,"31 ”diction,”32 "soothing,"33 "good expression,"3u "what he 23Respondent # 191, Herron Michigan; 13; Student; Lutheran. 2“Respondent # 279, Riverside, California; None given; None given; Seventh-day Adventist. 2SRespondent # 473, Los Angeles, California; 43; Housewife; Seventh-day Adventist. 26Respondent day'Adventist. 27Respondent dayuAdventist. 28Respondent day Adventist. 29Respondent Adventist. 30Respondent day Adventist. 31Respondent day Adventist. 32Respondent 33Respondent day Adventist. 3"Respondent terian. # 59S, Olean, New Ybrk; 55; Practical Nurse; Seventh- 715, Bakersfield, California; 36; Housewife; Seventh- 5, Los Angeles, California; 70; Housewife; Seventh- 15; Orlando, Florida; 80; Retired; Seventh-day 17; Redlands, California; 29; Housewife; Seventh- 34; Lynch, Nebraska, None given; Farmer; Seventh- 71; De Laud, Florida; 60; Retired; Methodist. 91; YOrk, Pennsylvania; 32; Colporteur; Seventh-' 113; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; 55; Clerk; Presby- 304 feels and tries to put across is in that voice,"35 "he seems to speak just to me,"36 "he has appeal and doesn't get all steamed up,"37 "there is a tonal quality in his voice that is sympathetic to the listener,"38 "speaks with confidence,"39 "speaks with reverence,"l“0 "clear enun- ciation,""l "there's a feeling of strength and assurance yet a sweet and comforting voice,"“2 "he has an authoritative voice,"“3 "there's something in his voice I can't explain,"““ ”variation in inflection without preacher tone,"“5 "it is a dedicated voice,"“6 "comparable to the 'still small voice' (Holy Spirit),”u7 and "deep tone."“8 35Reapondent # 123; Irasburg, vermont; 30; Factory; Congregational. 36Respondent # 127; Keene, Texas; 51; Colporteur and writer; Seventh-day’Adventist. ”Respondent .v 153; Hamburg, New York; 62; Retired; Methodist. 38Respondent # 182; Toledo, Ohio; 66; Retired; None. .39Respondent # 206; Crescent City, California; 63; Housewife; Seventh-day Adventist. “ORespondent # 247; Port Arthur, Ontario; 50; Housewife; None. “lRespondent # 250; Northampton, Massachusetts; 67; Housewife; First Congregational. “ZRespondent # 342; los Angeles, California; 28; Clerk; St. Paul's Lutheran. “3Respondent # 390; Santa Monica, California; 38; Laboratory Technician; Seventh-day Adventist. “uRespondent # 410; New Britain, Connecticut; 40; Housewife; Pentecostal. “5Respondent # 535; Lansing, Michigan; 48; Nurse; Seventh-day Adventist. “GRespondent # 687; Manlius, New YOrk; 44; Machinist; Seventh- day'Adventist. “7Respondent # 689; Asbury Park, New Jersey; 42; Iron worker; Congregational. “BRespondent # 814; Hinsdale, Illinois; 54; Oil business; Seventh- day'Adventist. 305 The final question relating directly to Mr. Richards' preaching asks the respondent to specify his personal likes and dislikes about the various elements of Richards' preaching attempts. Here, as in the question asking for value judgments on the radio broadcast as a whole, a significant number of respondents refrain from stating either likes or dislikes. Of the high percentage of respondents who like all of Richards' preaching approach, qualities of sincerity, simplicity, and clarity are lauded most often. Among the favorable comments are such statements as: "his sincerity, simplicity, and direct appeal,"“9 "so plain that little children can understand,"50 ”down to earth,"51 "he gives me something to think about,"52 "I like his straightforwardness,"53 ”it is true to life and calling for repentance and return to Christ,"5u "it is relaxing,"55 "the sermons are always to the point,"56 "like his simple preaching, his pleasing voice,"57 "he uses layman's language,"58 ugRespondent # 1; Peru, vermont; 75; Housewife; None. soRespondent # 11; North Tazewell, Virginia; 48; Housewife; Seventh-day Adventist. 51Respondent # 44; None given; 49; Housewife; Baptist. 52Respondent # 97; Benito, Manitoba; 65; Housewife; Anglican. 53Respondent # 107; Modesto, California; none given; Teacher; Seventh-day Adventist. 5“Respondent # 123; Irasburg, Vermont; 30; Factory; Congregational. 55Respondent # 204; Woodbine, Georgia; none given; Teacher; lethodist. 56Respondent # 250; Northampton, Massachusetts; 67; housewife; Congregational . 57Respondent # 262; Annawan, Illinois; 18; Bookkeeper; Seventh— day Adventist. 58Respondent # 314; Colton, California; 39; Housewife; None. 306 ”concise and does not 'rave',"59 "I feel he lives what he preaches,"60 ”his Bible proof for his statements,"61 ”he hits the nail on the head,"62 "his fearless and forthright way of presenting his message,”53 and "he is so unaffected."5“ Only fifteen respondents indicated any adverse reactions to Richards' preaching, and these negative reactions are mainly to Richards' voice. The comments are as follows: ”sometimes too many quotes,"65 "just voice,"66 ”lacking in emphasis,"67 "the sob appeal at the end,"68 "I feel he is sometimes a little sarcastic in answering questions,"69 ”too emotional,"7O ”do not like question and answer programs,"71 ”at 59Respondent # 401; Troy, Ohio; 63; Housewife; Christian Science. 60Respondent # 459; Tucson, Arizona; 63; Housewife; Seventh-day Adventist. 61Respondent # 467; Oshawa, Ontario; 55; Housewife; Seventh-day Adventist. 62Respondent # 492; Angwin, California; 90; Teacher; Seventh-day Adventist. 63Respondent # 590; West Palm Beach, Florida; 75; Retired; Episcopal. 6“Respondent # 844; Meadow Vista, California; 50; Carpenter;' Seventh-day’Adventist. 65Respondent # 58; Milltown, Indiana; 46; Housewife; Methodist. 66Respondent # 25; Esmond, Rhode Island; 19; Student; Nazarene. 67Respondent # 68; Johnstowne, Pennsylvania; 77; Housewife; Lutheran. ‘58Respondent # 90; Battendorf, Iowa; 17; Student; Seventh-day Adventist. ” 69Respondent # 93; Lenore, Idaho; 41; Housewife; Seventh-day Adventist. 7ORespondent # 184; loma Linda, California; 17; Student; Seventh- day.Adventist. 71Respondent # 195; Craig, Colorado; 36; Teacher; None. 307 times he sounds muffled on the radio where in public he doesn't,"72 "think his tone is a little too even and could be more variable and dynamic,"73 ”sometimes he doesn't sound very happy,”7“ "he acts like he is reading every word,"75 "a clever proselyter, fooled by the devil for if you add one thing to the Bible, God's curse rests upon him. Too bad,"76 "I wish he would stop talking about his home life and wife,"77 "voice is sometimes too sing-song,"78 "muffled."79 Questions twenty-seven and twenty-eight regarding church affil- iation and attendance are asked just prior to the decision-response questions which complete the questionnaire. This arrangement was planned to elicit a sequential response based on the respondent's religious ref- erence groups, his strength of membership in these groups, and the in- dividual decisions he makes to Richards' preaching as they might be affected by religious group influence. Responses to the church-affiliation questions suggest that the members of Richards' radio audience are, for the most part, individuals 'who attend church regularly and are members of a church group. The 72Respondent # 223; Greenaires, Washington; 42; None given; Seventh-day Adventist. 73Respondent # 264; New YOrk, New YOrk; 69; Clerical; Congregational. 7“Respondent # 260; Morrill, Nebraska; 30; Housewife; Seventh- day Adventist. 75Respondent # 300; Houston, Texas; 16; Student; Independent Baptist. 76Respondent # 368; Long Beach, California; 80; Businessman; Presbyterian. 77Respondent # 490; Toronto; None given; None given; Seventh-day Adventist. 78Respondent # 505; Huntington, West Virginia; 19; Clerk; Meth- odist Episcopal. ‘ 79Respondent # 719; Detroit, Michigan; 57; Writer; None. 308 highest percentage of those who belong to a church state affiliation with the Seventh-day Adventist church. Other major denominational groups represented by the questionnaire response are Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Catholic. The remaining affiliations in- dicated are membership in the Congregational church and in the denomin- ations with smaller memberships such as the Nazarene church and the Church of God. Questions twenty-nine to thirty-two, the last questions on the questionnaire, ask the respondents to declare any decisions they have made, or are making, a ~a result of listening to the VOice of PrOphecy broadcast. Question twenty-nine is designed to elicit the types of spiritual and moral decision response being made to Richards' preaching. The remaining questions are designed to discover the kinds of overt re- sponse the listeners are making to the offers made by the broadcast, and what specific responses they are making in behalf of the work of the broadcast. In the answers given to question twenty-nine regarding spiritual and moral decisions, there is a preponderance of "yes" answers which spell out specific responses such as: "leaving all pork untouched,"80 ”strengthens my faith,"81 “live for Christ,"82 "to try to follow the 0.83 I. Bible more closely, makes me feel I need more understanding of my 80Respondent # 47; Belle Glade, Florida; 38; Clerk; Catholic. 81Respondent # 61; East Longmeadow, Massachusetts; 87; Retired; Methodist. 82Respondent # 62; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; 78; Retired; Lutheran. 83Respondent # 82; Thomasville; North Carolina; 23; Textile worker; Met hodi at . 309 future,”8u "Use my Bible more frequently,"85 ”to be a better Christian,"86 ”strengthens my belief in God and Jesus Christ,"87 "I've accepted Christ,"88 ”caused me to begin attending Seventh-day Adventist church,"89 and "It has helped me through the years to be faithful."90 A Comparison between Responses to Richards' Radio Preaching and His Correlate Pulpit Preaching In addition to the survey report of VOice of Prophecy mail response, and the descriptive analysis of a special VOice of Prophecy listener response questionnaire used in this chapter in estimating Mr. Richards' effectiveness as a radio preacher, a summary of questionnaire responses of an audience who listened to Mr. Richards in a face-to-face communi- cation is also included here for a comparative purpose. The descriptive material which follows is intended (I) to in- dicate any effectiveness Mr. Richards appears to have in direct pulpit- to-pew speaking situations which is not found in his radio preaching, and (2) to demonstrate the similarities of response to Richards' preaching which obtain in both his radio and his pulpit speaking. 8“Respondent # 240; Alberta; 17; None Given; Greek Orthodox. 85Respondent # 282; Topeka, Kansas; 72; Retired; EpiscOpal. 86Respondent # 343; Everett, Washington; None given; Housewife; Seventh-day Adventist. 87Respondent # 386; Nevada City, California; 69; Retired; None. 88Respondent # 703; Jacksonville, Florida; None given; Pest Control Landscaping; None. 89Respondent # 754; Dallas, Texas; 58; Pharmacist; Methodist. 90Respondent # 801; Pierre, South Dakota; 35; Pastor; Seventh- day Adventist. 310 Occasion and audience factors relative to the guestionnaire.-- In November of 1960, Mr. Richards conducted a four-day preaching mission in the school auditorium of the Santa Monica Seventh-day Adventist church in Santa Monica, California. This preaching mission was designed to reach individuals acquainted with the Voice of Prophecy broadcast who might be interested in hearing Mr. Richards in person. On Sunday evening November 20, 1960, when Mr. Richards preached the last of his series of sermons, approximately 300 persons were in 5 attendance. As each person entered the auditorium, he was handed an audience response questionnaire. A copy of this questionnaire may be referred to in Appendix (IX). It will be noted that the questions asked on this questionnaire closely approximate the questions asked on the questionnaire mailed to members of the VOice of Prophecy radio audience. This was deliberately planned to facilitate comparison./ The audience was instructed to fill out part of the questionnaire prior to the preaching of the sermon, and the remainder of the questionnaire at the close of the service. Out of the 300 questionnaires handed out, 149 were returned. General data teken from the returned questionnaires indicates 95 female and 45 male white respondents averaging fifty years in age. Over one- third of the respondents indicated an education attainment level of high-school and above. The occupation of housewife is prevalent among the thirty occupations and professions represented by the group. The majority of the individuals filling out the questionnaire specify membership and regular attendance in churches of the Protestant faith. Affiliation with the Seventh-day Adventist church appears most often among the stated preferences. Other churches indicated are Baptist, 311 hmthodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, United Evangelical, Armenian, and Brethren churches. Within the group of respondents a high percentage of persons state that they have heard Mr. Richards both on the radio and in person. A significant nuuber of these individuals indicate they have heard Richards on the VOice of Prophecy broadcast for a period of fifteen years or longer. The sermon.--Mr. Richards final sermon in the Santa MOnica series was entitled "Christ, The Answer to Life's Three Hardest Questions.” After a brief introduction, in which Richards stated that there are three questions every person faces in life, viz., (l) the question of sin, (2) the question of sorrow, and (3) the question of death, Mr. Richards discussed each question separately and offered a Bible answer. Richards first discussed the question of sin from the viewpoint of the apparent breakdown in morality in all parts of the world and es- pecially in America. He traced the history of the sin problem back to its origin in heaven when Lucifer rebelled against God. On the basis of an assertion that "no one is ever happy in sin," Richards told his Santa Monica audience that the only answer to the sin problem was to know Christ as a personal Saviour from their personal sin. In the second division of the sermon Mr. Richards drew from per- sonal experience and experiences common to most people to illustrate the reality of individual sorrow inherent in bitter disappointment, losses, and failures in life. In suggesting an answer to the problem of sorrow, Richards said, "If you are a Christian and believe in the Bible and prayer then you can be human and wet your pillow‘with weeping, and at 312 the same time know that all the things you cannot understand will work together for ultimate good in your life." Richards claimed that the question of death could be answered only by the accepted fact of Christ's resurrection and their personal faith in His promise of immortality to all who believe in the Gospel. In concluding the sermon, Mr. Richards restated the three questions, briefly summarized the answers he had given to each question, and ap- pealed to his audience to become believing Christians who trusted Christ fully for satisfying answers to all other questions which they might meet in life. Observed response.--From a vantage point on the platform it was observed that Mr. Richards seemed to hold the attention of most of his audience throughout the delivery of his sermon. At one or two points during the sermon when he made reference to his own personal experience in finding answers to some of life's questions the voluntary attention of the children in the audience was especially noticeable. In his delivery Mr. Richards did not speak from notes and looked directly at his audience as he spoke. The feed-back in terms of facial expressions was unusual in that it appeared that each person in the audience looked toward the pulpit as though he felt Richards was speaking only to him. The laughter response to Mr. Richards' use of humor during his sermon appeared to be spontaneous, though somewhat muffled. A slight amount of uneasiness was observed in audience movement when Richards used sarcasm near the first of his sermon in speaking of the way certain church groups define ”sin." After the sermon appeal, before the conclusion of the service, 313 it seemed that all the members of the audience were reluctant to break the silence of the moment by even slightly shifting in their chairs. As they left the auditorium a number spoke to Mr. Richards in appreciation of his sermon. Questionnaire response to questions on Mr. Richards:_pulpit preaching.--Question number two of the pulpit response questionnaire asks members of the audience to evaluate Mr. Richards' ethical per- suasion on the basis of his voice, manner, and appearance. The following statements taken from questionnaire responses reflect something of aud- ience appraisal of this rhetorical factor: "a very devoted Christian,"91 ”92 n n93 n u "a Christian gentleman, a fine man, wonderful, spiritual,"9 ”godly, forthright,"95 "a consecrated Christian,"96 "well platform "97 n trained, a sincere man of God,"98 "a very good person,"99 "friendly," "a person who can be believed and trusted and whom you would have as a 918M Respondent # 1; Age: 77; Occupation: Retired; Church Affiliation: Seventh-day Adventist. (This information cited hereafter without explanation.) 928M Respondent # 2; 7S; Retired; Lutheran. 93SMfRespondent # h; 76; Teacher; Presbyterian. 9“SM Respondent # 6; 77; Housewife; Seventh-day.Adventist. 958M Respondent # 7; 80; Physician; Seventh-day Adventist. 968M Respondent # 9; 85; Housewife; Seventh-day'Adventist. 978M Respondent # 13; 73; Retired; Seventh-day Adventist. ?83M Respondent # 14; 72; Housewife; Seventh-day Adventist. 998M Respondent # 15; 6h; Widow; Seventh-day Adventist. 309p» gaqunaent p i“: 0”; huvee; finvcnthsday Adventist. --ma-~ m ..- _ ‘7. v r w ' f 1),". 31“ .101 n «104 n friend,‘ a real preacher,”102 "great,"103 "convincing, a sin- cere, dynamic, level,iirm, just, and steadfast man,"105 " a God fearing man,"106 "kind and considerate,"107 "he walks with God,"108 "Christ shines through him,"109 "he reminds me of Abraham of old, a great leader,"110 "dynamic,"111 "capable,"112 ”very learned and well read,"113 “best of the best,"11u ”a powerful person,"115 "understanding and ob- serving,"116 "a very happy person,"117 "scholarly,"118 "one of God's 1OISM Respondent # 28; 69; None given; Seventh-day Adventist. 102SM Respondent # 29; 68; Cabinetmaker; Seventh-day Adventist. 1038M Respondent # 30; 63; Retired; Seventh-daylAdventist. 10"‘SM'Respondent # 37; 51; Physical Therapist; Seventh-day Adventist. 1055M Respondent # 39; Sh; Mechanical Engineer; Seventh-day Adventist. 1068M Respondent # Q2; 53; Painting Contractor; Seventh-day Adventist. 1073M Respondent # #3; 51; Sales; None. 1088M Respondent # 62; Q9; Electrician; Seventh—day Adventist. 1098M Respondent # 7h; Q9; Housewife; Seventh-day Adventist. 110SM’Respondent # 80; 37; Housewife; Seventh-day'Adventist. 1“SM Respondent # 84; 29; Teacher; Seventh-daymAdventist. 112SMIRespondent # 88; 47; Physician; Seventh-day Adventist. 1138M Respondent # 89; 48; Laboratory Technician; Seventh-day Adventist. 'lluSM Respondent # 96; None given; Contractor; Seventh-day Adventist. 1158M Respondent # 104; None Given; Housewife; Seventh-day Adventist. 1168M Respondent # 107; 30; Student; Brethren. 117SM’Respondent # 108; uh; Housewife; Seventh-day Adventist. 118SM‘Respondent # 128; 50; Physician; Seventh-day4Adventist. 315 very elect,"119 and "a man."120 Answers to Question three of the questionnaire regarding Richards' voice indicate that most of his audience thinks his pulpit voice is easy to listen to because: "it has a pleasant quality with a personal touch,"121 "it is soft and soothing yet firm,"122 "it is the sure, positive voice of one who knows of what he is speaking,"123 or, "it is manly."lzu The only adverse comments about Richards on this questionnaire were in the "I answers to this question about his voice. One person said, "I would like, at least occasionally, to hear more tenderness in his voice."125 Another did not like Richards' tone when he used the word ”hate."126 Approximately ninety per cent of those answering questions four J to eleven on Mr. Richards' choice of topic, inventive material, words, and lines of argument stated that the sermon was interesting, pertinent to life's problems, easy to follow, and convincing. Eighty-four of the 112 persons answering Question thirteen which asks for a comparison of Mr. Richards' pulpit preaching with his radio preaching, reported that to them the radio and pulpit presentations are of the same high quality. The responses of those who feel that there 1198M Respondent # 147; None given; Housewife; Seventh-day Adventist. 1203M Respondent # 143; 14; Student; Seventh-day Adventist. l218M Respondent # 70; Clerk; Seventh-day.Adventist. 122SM'Respondent # 73; SO; Housewife; Seventh-day'Adventist. $238M Respondent # 93; 42; Architect; Seventh-day Adventist. 12“SM Respondent # 141; 68; Retired; None.. 12SSM‘Respondent # 104; ane given; Housewife; Seventh-day Adventist. Adventist. Respondent # 110; None given; Housewife; Seventh-day 316 is a difference between the two modes of preaching reveal that more of this number evaluate Mr. Richards' pulpit preaching as being better than his radio preaching. The consensus opinion of those who favor Richards' pulpit preaching is that it is more frequently informal and more spontaneous than the radio preaching. The consensus opinion of those who favor Richards' radio preaching is that it appears more calm and dignified. Question fifteen is of a testimonial nature, and a number of the responses are stated here to show something of the over-all ethical appeal which Richards has to those who listen to him in person. Easy to understand127 Speaks to one's heart128 9 Personal, intimate appeal12 Like his way of explaining the Bible130 He makes Christ so real to me1 I like his simple words from heart to heart His simple, sincere manner 13“ He uses language everyone can understand I like his depth135 132 1278M ReSpondent #2; 75; Retired; Lutheran. 1288M Respondent # 3; 76; Retired; Seventh-day Adventist. 12?8M Respondent # 7; 80; Physician; Seventh-day Adventist. 1308M Respondent # 10; 93; Housewife; Seventh-day Adventist. 1313M Respondent # 18; 68; Retired Methodist. 1328M Respondent # 29; 68; Cabinetmaker; Seventh-day Adventist. 1338M Respondent # 31; 69; Hospital Aide; Seventh-day Adventist. iguSM Respondent # 45; 52; Office Nurse; Seventhpday Adventist. 1358M Respondent # 58; 44; Housewife; Seventh-day'Adventist. 317 His sincerity, and his obvious loving kindness, his interest in people and their problems136 He sounds like he is talking to me personally137 His command of the Bible138 His simple approach139 His kindly, pleasing delivery“‘0 I like his earnestness and simplicity Nothing could be more inspiring I like his way of preaching without noteslu3 I like the way he makes me feel that Christ loves me--a sinner I like his heart touching appeals.1"‘S 141 The final questions on the questionnaire, numbers sixteen and seventeen, were designed to record decision responses of the Santa Monica audience to Mr. Richards' preaching. Ninety-seven persons re- ported that they had made moral and spiritual decisions as a result of hearing Richards' sermon “Christ, The Answer to Life's Three Hardest Questions." The nature of these responses is implicit in phrases found at the end of the questionnaire such as: "reaffirmed spiritual decisions,"m6 1368M Respondent # 63; 4S; Housewife; Seventh-day'Adventist. 137SMRespondent # 70; 45; Clerk; Seventh-day Adventist. 1388M Respondent # 86; 28; Housewife; Seventh-day Adventist. 1398M Respondent # 90; 46; Engineer; Seventhuday'Adventist. 1405M Respondent # 94; 50; Landscape Gardener; Seventh-day Adventist. - 1MSMZRespondent # 96; None given; Contractor; Seventh-day Adventist. 1"‘ZSM’Respondent # 98; None given; Retired; Seventh-day Adventist. 1“3SM Respondent # 107; 30; Student; Brethren. 1““SM’Respondent # 133; 35; Bacteriologist; Seventh-day Adventist. 1453M Respondent # 144; None given; Housewife; Seventh-day Adventist. 1“SM’Respondent # 7; 80; Physician; Seventh-day'Adventist. 1‘7-‘ mm-b“‘ -..: mart-Jr J I . . '. “a: ._ f 318 "decision to live closer to Christ,"1h7 "determined to go through to the "1“8 d,"149 "more efforts to lead others to end of time, "to call upon Go Christ,"150 "to study the Bible more,”151 "to do what is right."152 A large segment of Mr. Richards' audience reported that they had made prior spiritual and moral decisions in response to both his radio and pulpit preaching. scum Summary Audience response to Mr. Richards' radio preaching on the voice of Prophecy broadcast as indicated by mail response from 1942 to 1961 and by the special questionnaire response discussed in this chapter ;J suggests: (1) that Richards' radio audience is largely Protestant and I is made up of men and women mostly in the middle age group who have at least an eighth grade education, (2) that a large proportion of the Vbice of PrOphecy radio audience has listened regularly to Mr. Richards' weekly broadcast for ten years or longer, (3) that he is perceived by his audience as being intelligent, sincere, friendly, loving, an example of the Christian ethic worth emulating, (4) that his preaching rates superior to that of most radio and pulpit preachers in the United States because it is more simple, pertinent, authoritative in tone, and logical; 1“78M Respondent # 24; 64; Nurse; Seventh-day Adventist. 1“88M Respondent # 39; 54; Mechanical Engineer; Seventh-day Adventist . ' 1l‘9SM Respondent # 82; 39; Nurse; Seventh-day Adventist. 1508M Respondent # 128; 50; Physician; Seventh-day.Adventist. 1518M Respondent # 142; 68; Retired; Seventh-day Adventist. 1525M Respondent # 146; None given; Secretary; Seventh-day Adventist. 319 and because his delivery is more forceful and appealing than that of most of his contemporaries, (S) that Richards' radio preaching is not per- ceived as significantly different from his pulpit preaching, (6) that individual responses of a moral and spiritual nature are largely made as the result of cumulative listening to Mr. Richards' sermons along with study of the Bible correspondence course lessons offered on the VOice of Prophecy broadcast. if: - An] (‘rfi’ ‘_ \a '5‘!) O: 1 E; - . CHAPTER VII AN EVALUATION OF H. M. S. RICHARDS‘ RHETORICAL THEORY AND PRACTICE When the components of oral communication are present, viz., the speaker, his speech, and his listening audience, there is an inevitable response of personal interaction. Because of this interaction, oral ._7..—-_..- ‘w‘fi-d s-flwn-' . ‘. - .".- communication is considered a powerful instrument of social control. It follows, then, that in order to discriminate between the "good” and "bad" in that which is spoken, a critical awareness is desirable. Critical inquiry is a research process to particular speech gathering of all available facts relating to particular speech situations; establishing appraisal norms, then evaluating the data in terms of the norms toward assigning subjective and objective judgments. In the assignment of value judgments to the radio preaching of H. M. S. Richards in connection with his Voice of Prophecy radio broad- cast, it is the purpose of this chapter, (1) to describe the critical process as it is generally employed in evaluating platform speaking, (2) to set forth criteria for appraising rhetorical theory, (3) to evaluate the rhetorical theory set forth by Mr. Richards, (See Chapter IV), by these criteria, and (4) to evaluate Richards' rhetorical practice in terms of his rhetorical theory. THE CRITICAL PROCESS As the critic begins his study of the speech phenomenon, he first determines what he is about, and then how he will go about it. For “4'4. .. ’/ 321 practical consideration in this study the critical process is described in terms of the speaker, the audience and occasion, the message, the measurement of response, and the assignment of value judgments. The speaker.--The critic chooses his subject for study from among the dead and buried, or from among contemporaneous speakers of his own time. Also he chooses among the eminent, or among the little known. When the choice is made, examination is then made of the speaker's biographical background to discover what forces and influences shaped his life to the time of delivery of a given speech. Such items as birth and early life, education, experience, and training, along with person- ality characteristics and physical appearance, are investigated. Necessary also to this area of the study is the ascertaining of the intellectual, moral, and spiritual beliefs of the speaker as they relate to the issues and institutions with which he is associated. Finally, the speaker's habits of preparation are studied in connection with his message. The audience and occasion.--The study of an audience is carried on in two dimensions. Horizontal study is made to reconstruct as far as possible the social background leading up to specific speech occasions, and a vertical study is made of the particular audience and speech sit- uation. The horizontal study is carried on to develop an accurate picture of the complex economic, social, political, literary, religious, and other climates of opinion. These data create a pattern into which de- tails of proof, choice of language, structure, and delivery of a speech find relationships and explanations.1 1Lester Thonssen and A. Craig Biard, "Methodology in the Criti- cism of Public Address," The Quarterly Journal of Speech, Vol. XXXIII, (February, 1947), p. 134. 322 The vertical study is carried on to discover age, sex, and edu- cation factors of the audience, along with the discoverable emotional factors that beset an audience at the moment of delivery. Factors of audience belief, attitude, and motive are brought to focus at this point in the critical process. The nature of the specific occasion and the speaker's purpose are also studied vertically, developing details which will help the critic to interpret the effectiveness of the speaker.2 "7 The Message.--Critica1 study of speeches is best accomplished by systematically studying the speaker and speech within rhetoric's classical categories of Invention, Arrangement, Style, and Delivery. fl - --—v-—.- 1-1‘n-“1' L-J :p‘)‘ ’31, t, - In invention the critic not only extracts the topics, themes, ideas, and proofs found in the speeches, but he also studies the in- ventive process.3 He examines the chief propositions, hypotheses, or assumptions advanced by the speaker, he analyzes the evidence, the lines of reasoning (analogy, example, sign, cause and effect), and the use of motivational appeals. In brief, he focuses upon the method followed by a speaker in preparing and adapting speech materials to an audience. The arrangement of a speech reveals the speaker's ability to order the parts of his speech for immediate audience adaptation. The critic keeps this objective in mind as he studies each speech in its immediate setting. If the speaker gains access to the minds of his hearers, one of the means he uses is "style.” Critical study of choice and arrangement 2w. N. Brigance, "Whither Research,” The Quarterly Journal of Speech, Vol. XIX (November, 1933), pp. 552-556. . 3Loren D. Reid, "The Perils of Rhetorical Criticism," The Quarterly Journal of Speech, vol. xxx (December, 1944), pp. 416-422. 323 of words is made in the context of the speaker's purpose, his analysis of the speech situation, and his stylistic ability. Investigation of a speaker's delivery is made by analyzing audible and visible physical factors, either observed in the actual speaking situation or inferred from anecdotal eye-witness accounts. The measurement of response.--The work of the critic in measuring response is to determine to what degree the speaker realizes his ob- jectives. The critic must also investigate responses not intended by the speaker, and relate them to the measurement. Response is considered to be both immediate and ultimate, indi- vidual and societal, and is therefore difficult to measure. Subjec- tively the critic, if he is observing a contemporary speaker, may assign his own estimate of response by describing audience reaction during or immediately following a given speech. On the other hand, he may estimate response from reported reactions, and from surveying more ultimate effects engendered by other speakers whom he has not personally heard. More objectively, the critic may employ measurement instruments to de- termine response. The "shift of opinion" ballot is a sample of this kind of measurement. However, objectivity of determination is not 1i- mited to instrument or statistical measurement. Relative objectivity through a combination of methods is the desideratum. The assigning_of value judgments.--When the available data have been gathered, described, analyzed, and interpreted, then the critic evaluates the end product as the final part of the critical process. In order to assign value judgments, certain criteria must be used. As Thonssen and Baird state:_ Evaluative judgments derive their substance from com- parisons; and finished criticism results from the reasoned 324 application of a certain production to the criteria of a model or standard of reference.“ These criteria may be based on classical or current rhetorical theory, or may even be eclectic, at the choice of the critic. Applying the chosen criteria to the speaker and his work, the critic derives certain conclusions as to their excellence and merit, or the lack of it. Critics in the past have evaluated the character and ability of the speaker; the explicit and implicit elements of the speeches; and the speaker's effectiveness. These evaluations have served to sharpen subsequent rhetorical criticism and in some cases have modified rhetori- cal theory. Criteria for Appraising Rhetorical Theory The setting forth of suitable judgment norms to follow in ap- praising rhetorical theory is dependent upon a knowledge of the practice of rhetoric, since each is influenced by the other. Historically, rhetorical theory appears to have developed from an analysis of speech making in the past and is further influenced and modified by whatever practice of the speech art may exist in the present. It is necessary, then, to discover the constituents, variables, and judgments which are found to be common in existing rhetorical theory and practice; and accepting these as having value judgment relevance, to use them in evaluating the rhetorical theory of a given speaker. Accordingly, the following is suggested for evaluating the rhetorical theory of H. M. S. Richards. “Thonssen and Baird, "Methodology in the Criticism of Public Address," p. 152. 325 First, the "good" rhetoric is based upon generally accepted moral and ethical principles. Though rhetoric may be considered as amoral in its essence, it cannot be considered so in its practice; and it must therefore, have as its frame of reference the best of morals and ethics. Each constituent and its treatment must have clear evidence of this undergirding. This kind of rhetoric will consider the dignity and worth of the individual in all it attempts to do; it will give no hint of trickery, and it will promote no self-aggrandizement or arti- ficiality. The second requirement of the "good" rhetoric is that it must set forth objectives and purposes which justify its existence. Pre- supposing the need for communication within a free society, these ob— jectives and purposes will be stated as applicable to all men, whatever their level of interest and discernment. The third requirement of the ”good" rhetoric is that it be com- plementary rather than antagonistic toward Logic. The "good" Rhetoric will include Logic as a co-ordinate in the process of persuasion, since good rhetorical theory is concerned with content in speeches as well as form. The fourth requirement of the "good" rhetoric is that it be coherent and be systematically consistent for application in practice. The "good" rhetoric will have as a fifth qualification the in- clusion and definitive treatment of the constituents of the rhetorical act. An acceptable rhetoric would place emphasis as follows: I. The Speaker A. Biographical factors influencing the speaker's skill in communication. B. The issues and ”causes" with which the speaker is associated. II. III. IV. C. D. The A. B. B. «pianos; 326 The speaker's personal beliefs and attitudes which influence his communication. The speaker's workmanship in speech preparation. Audience The composition of the audience. The analysis of the beliefs, attitudes, motives, and moods of specific audiences as far as possible. The ascertainable speaker-audience relationships. Occasion Historical climate of opinion and social setting of delivered speeches. The immediate occasion factors of time, communication, environment, purpose, and physical setting. Rhetorical Nature of Speeches Invention l. The speaker's choice of subjects. 2. The speaker's source of ideas. 3. The speaker's ends for each speech. 4. The speaker's propositions. S. The speaker's rhetorical proofs. a. Logical argument 1) Evidence: Use of facts and opinions. 2) Reasoning: Use of example, analogy, cause, and sign. Interpretation of Bible texts. 3) Correspondence, coherence, and consistency of truths in speaker's premises. b. Ethical persuasion. l) Evidences of components outside of the speech. 2) Evidences of components inside of the speech composition, direct and implied. 3) Primacy of ethical components in persuasion. c. Motivational appeals. l) Impelling motives appealed to in audiences by the speaker. 2) Use of direct and indirect suggestion by the speaker. 6. The speaker's adaptation of his proofs to the audience. Arrangement . Patterns of speech structure and outlines. . Emergence of speech theme. . Nature of introductions. . Progression of discussions. a. Sequence of ideas. b. Methods of transition. c. location of arguments for persuasion. 5. Nature of Conclusions. “A 3A." 327 C. Style 1. Style and the speaker's personality and background. 2. The speaker's selection and ordering of words. D. Delivery 1. The speaker's methods of delivery. 2. Examination of all aspects of the audible and visible codes of delivery. V. The Response of the Speaking. A. Immediate B. Long range An Evaluation of the Rhetorical Theory of H. M. S. Richards The rhetorical theory of H. M. S. Richards reflects the principles of the Christian ethic in each of its chief component parts. The speaker is considered by Richards to be God's channel for divine truth, and as such must live a life consistent with that truth. The audience is in- dividualized in Richards' conception of speaker-audience relationships, and his personal worth is measured in Christian terms of ”the price paid by Christ for His redemption;" so that regardless of his status or condition, the individual listener is to be considered worthy of the speaker's sincerest effort and regard. Mr. Richards conceives of the sermon as a message to be based upon the Bible, which to Richards is the infallible and sacred revelation of God, and consequently is to be free from anything that is factitious, anything that appears to be man- ipulative, or anything which would tend to exalt the messenger above the message. From an examination of the definition and the objectives which Mr. Richards sets forth for "preaching," it would appear that this segment of his rhetorical theory fulfills the second requirement of a "good" rhetoric in that the objectives are toward developing the moral 328 and spiritual qualities of men's lives toward the highest possible achievement in this life; and toward giving men assurance for whatever life might be in the hereafter. Because nothing is to be found in Richards' rhetoric which would preclude, or render ineffectual, the discipline of Logic, his theory fulfills the third requirement of a "good" Rhetoric. The noticeable emphasis on logic found in Mr. Richards' discussion of logical argument in speaking reveals the relative importance he ascribes to the discipline. Also, the fact that Richards urges preachers to have a working knowledge of both of these disciplines further attests to something of his consent to their correlative functions. When the various components of Mr. Richards' rhetorical theory are brought together under the traditional canon labels, their coherency and consistency compare favorably with rhetorics used as models. The language employed by Mr. Richards to express his theory is somewhat homiletically oriented, but this does not appear to detract from its rhetorical lucidity. In evaluating the general emphases which Mr. Richards places upon speaker, speech, and audience, the discussion will proceed according to the outline previously stated as the fifth qualification of a "good" rhetoric. The speaker.--Concerning the biographical factors which influence a speaker's skill in communication, Mr. Richards says nothing about the early life of the preacher but begins with the preacher at the time of his call to preach, setting forth the nature of that call, and the spiritual, moral, intellectual, and physical preparation which the effective preacher must have to carry on his sacred work. In speaking 329 of this preparation, Richards outlines in some detail the educational and physical aspects of preparation, but is rather sketchy in the area of the aspects of spiritual and moral preparation. He seems to assume that the details of these latter aspects are to be understood without their being expressly stated. According to Richards, the preacher's personal beliefs and atti- tudes have their primary origin in the preacher's personal response to the dynamics of the religious cause with which he is associated. Richards also indicates that these beliefs and attitudes are further conditioned by the preacher's interpersonal relationships with all types of indi- viduals. Discussion of the speaker's workmanship is carried forward by Richards with matters of invention, and this will be discussed under that topical heading. The audience and occasion.--For a general frame of reference in analyzing audiences, Richards suggests that the speaker consider himself as typically human and then predicate his speaking accordingly. More specifically, Richards carefully categorizes his audience according to projected predispositions which are based upon manifest social and re- ligious values. Throughout his rhetorical theory Richards appears to consider the audience the most important element in the speech situation, and in instances where he discusses speaker-audience relationships the point is stressed that the speaker must continually adapt himself and his ideas to his specific audiences, but always within the limits of integ- rity and good taste. While there is some indication or Richards' awareness of such 330 audience factors as age, sex, and educational development, there are no explicit statements regarding such general data. The one unique assumption which Mr. Richards makes regarding audiences is that each individual auditor has an innate consciousness of the relevance of the gospel to life's situations. While this as- sumption would seem difficult to prove, it is an assumption under which Mr. Richards works in his radio ministry. Mr. Richards' treatment of factors of the occasion is limited to his discussion of the radio broadcast speaking situation. Since in his radio preaching he does not treat subjects which are of a political or socio-cultural nature, he evidently places no significant emphasis upon the historical climate of Opinion which surrounds platform speaking. He appears more concerned with knowing how to create a religious atmos- phere which transcends the socio-cultural aspects of the communication environment. The rhetorical nature of speeches.--The religious issues as found in the Protestant heritage of Christianity form the locus around which Mr. Richards builds the concepts of invention found in his rhetorical theory. In this context he advocates that the preacher's choice of sermon subjects and propositions be largely doctrinal and experiential, and that the inventive materials be taken chiefly from the Bible. These stipulations closely follow the traditional approach espoused in the major treatises on the art of preaching. The suasion ends for each sermon are explicitly stated as: con- vincing the judgment, kindling the imagination, and moving the feelings towards changing the quality and destiny of the listener's life. 331 Invention--Logical Argument In his theoretical consideration of the purpose and function of logical argument in sermons, Mr. Richards includes each of the distinctive elements known in the area of argumentation or advocacy. The use of evidence other than Biblical evidence is minimized by Richards but is not excluded. This appears to relate to Mr. Richards' emphasizing the use of Scripture as the chief source of sermon materials. For particular interpretation of Scripture, Mr.-Richards advocates the authoritative statements of recognized Bible scholars. This is generally accepted by homileticians as a good practice. The absence of concrete ways to test evidence and reasoning appears as a minor weakness in Richards' statements concerning logical argument. The only test which he offers for evaluating either evidence or reasoning is the general correspondence which these might universally obtain. Standards for the ordering of arguments are set forth by Richards with the philosophy that the audience must receive first consideration in all that argumentation attempts. In evaluating the logical argument component found in Richards' theory, it may be said favorably that in general he includes and stresses matters of Logical argumentation similarly to the inclusion and focus fiaund in model theories. Inventioné-Ethical Persuasion Of the three traditional constituents of ethical proof suggested by Mr. Richards as necessary in giving credibility to the preacher's messages, the constituent of “character is emphasized most in his rhe- torical theory. 332 Richards recognizes that intelligence, competence, education, and the title and office of the minister are available sources of ethical appeal. He further recognizes the possibility of these sources being manifest both inside and outside of the sermon composition, but he maintains that the inner spiritual experience of the preacher will be the chief determinant of the persuasive power of his preaching above all other rhetorical devices. There appears to be no hint in Richards' statements on ethical persuasion to the effect that the preacher is to do something during the delivery of his sermon to make the audience aware of the probity of his character. According to the norms established for a "good" Rhetoric, the conception Mr. Richards holds of the ethical persuasion constituent is well formulated. Invention--Motivational Appeals Mr. Richards assumes the division between materials having rational value in the sermon and those having emotive value. He gives high priority to motivational appeals in the persuasion process and categorizes impelling motives which may be especially influenced by religious thought. In addition to the emphasis which Richards gives to the place of motivational appeals in preaching, he insists on the use of direct suggestion as necessary in any attempt to persuade listeners to act on sermon propositions. Sermon Arrangement Matters of sermon structure and the order in which parts of the structure are to be developed are well stated by Mr. Richards. In 333 keeping with homiletical tradition, he advocates outlining sermon materials according to the division of the Scriptural passages on which they are based. Thematic emergence, order of argument, and thought transitions receive proportionate and definitive consideration by Richards. Sermon Style The essence of style according to Richards' conception of this rhetorical constituent, is dependent upon the speaker's devotion to his cause and his concern for clear communication of the ideas of the speech. He advances the thesis that the speaker is to take nothing for granted relative to the prior understanding of his subject on the part of any audience, and that he must, therefore, adopt a simple style which employs terminology with the most obvious meaning. Thus he advocates the sincerity, correctness, clarity, and apprOpriateness of style main- tained in the works of other rhetoricians. Sermon Delivery A strong appeal to preachers to avoid anything in delivery which calls attention to the speaker rather than to his message characterizes Mr. Richards' statements on sermon delivery. In his theory of delivery Richards discusses the pros and cons of the various methods of sermon delivery, and recommends the extempor- aneous method as best for effective communication. Elements of voice and diction are only briefly discussed; however, the intelligibility and agreeableness found in acceptable conversational speaking are mentioned. The attitude and demeanor of the preacher are related by Richards to the serious nature of the sermon. Again no particulars are offered concerning appropriate pulpit postures or bodily action. The response to preaching.--All through Mr. Richards' rhetorical theory the nature of the desired response to preaching is implied. However, there appears to be no stated methodology for estimating the general or specific influence of preaching, either immediate or long range. This omission does not necessarily weaken the fabric of Richards' rhetorical theory as a whole. Summary Evaluation of Richards' Theory From the foregoing summary appraisal of the theoretical con- ceptions of rhetoric held by Mr. Richards, as measured by the standards set forth in this chapter, it may be said that while some detail is missing in his discussion of certain rhetorical constituents there is every evidence that Mr. Richards' rhetorical theory conforms to the stated norms to a high degree. It may be further stated that this body of theory, harmonizes favorably with the traditional theories generally accepted for rhetorical criticism. An Evaluation of the Rhetorical Practice of Ho I4. Se RiChardS The evaluation of Mr. Richards' rhetorical practice which follows is based upon materiaI found in Chapter Three, which sets forth Richards' rhetorical theory, and upon material found in Chapter Four, which des- cribes and analyzes his workmanship and the rhetorical nature of his sermons. The format for the evaluation will include (1) a general appraisal of Richards' personal preparation for preaching, and (2) some critical judgments of Richards' preparation and delivery of his radio sermons. 335 An appraisal of Richards' personal preparation for preaching.-- From the biographical materials available on Mr. Richards' early home and family background, it seems that both by precept and example there was adequate religious orientation for his future work. By his own testimony the advantages of living in a minister's home and definite influence upon his spiritual and vocational choices. Richards attributes many of his ideas on the theory and practice of preaching to his preacher father. The formal education of Mr. Richards in terms of years and types of discipline appears to be sufficient for the competence required in his radio ministry. The lack of seminary training or other graduate training apparently does not hamper him in his preaching. This is in large part probably due to the self education program he has followed throughout his ministry. His large library and comprehensive filing system provide ample materials for his sermon research; and he appears to be familiar with his inventive tools. The nature and intensiveness of the spiritual exercises followed by Mr. Richards in his personal preparation for preaching compare most favorably with his suggestions to other preachers regarding the attainment of personal piety. The significant amount of response from Richards' radio listeners relative to his ethical appeal indicates something of the effectiveness which may be attributed in part to his personal preparation, past, and present. . Critical judgments of Richards' preparation and delivery of his radio sermons.--Since the evaluation of Mr. Richards' rhetorical practice 336 is based on the norms set forth in Chapter Three as his norms, the constituent headings in that chapter will also be followed here. The Preacher and His Audience Mr. Richards conceives of his audience as being made up of single individuals rather than a mass or group audience, and his attempts to keep in mind the individual differences found in audiences are re- flected in the wording of his sermons. According to reports from his listeners, this face-to-face personal relationship is also reflected in his delivery. Sermon Invention-~Subjects and Sources Mr. Richards follows closely his own recommendations in his choice of sermon subjects. His doctrinal subjects are chosen from the cardinal tenets of Seventh-day Adventism and are broadened to include the main areas of traditional theology. The stress in Richards' choice of subjects dealing with the experience of becoming a Christian is in keeping with his stated beliefs on the urgent need to preach sermons on practical godliness. The other sermon subjects chosen by Mr. Richards for his radio preaching from biography, Bible prophecy, and moral-ethical subjects include significant amounts of doctrinal and experiential mate- rial. The variety of subject choice within these stated areas appears evident in a survey of Richards' sermon subjects from 1942 to the present writing. From an examination of his radio sermons it appears that the chief source of Richards' sermon materials is the Bible. The copious quoting of Scripture in his sermons measures well with his conviction that the 337 preacher who makes the Bible his source for sermons is the preacher who fulfills all that is meant by "true preaching." His choice of other sermon materials from history, biography, music, art, philosophy, science, literature, psychology, and the works of other preachers, though Sparse. by comparison with the choice of Biblical material, does suggest the wide range of sources other than the Bible to which Mr. Richards refers in gathering sermon thoughts. Sermon Invention: Ethical Persuasion The kinds of materials within each sermon composition which implicitly or explicitly might reveal the competence, character, and good will of Mr. Richards to his audience extend beyond the suggestions made by Richards in his rhetorical theory. In his theory he states that the audience should be able to perceive character, competence, and good will without any attempts within or outside the sermon composition to draw attention to these constituents. In actual practice Richards makes direct statements about his life and experience which do call specific attention to his character and competence. Also he makes a' number of statements which imply his earnestness, sincerity, integrity, and good will. Sermon Invention: Logical Argument Mr. Richards expresses his theological outlook and commitment through competent use of evidence and reasoning. In so doing he conforms to his own standards for effective argument in preaching. Argument from Scriptural authority provides the bulk of evidence in Richards' sermons. The use of other types of evidence is consistent and acceptable, although in numerous cases there is no clear docu- mentation of sources. The testimony and opinions of others which he offers as evidence are from generally accepted sources. In appraising the process of reasoning followed in Mr. Richards' sermons, it is obserVed that he includes each of the types of reasoning he advocates in his theory as being useful in persuading an audience. his careful attention to definition, explanation, and exposition through the use of illustration, description, and analogy is apparent. In the case of analogies they are largely figurative and are not pushed in application beyond analogical limits. The examples in Richards' sermons are largely narrative in type and are drawn from areas of human experience common to most persons. The examples are couched in language which, according to the questionnaire survey, is easily understood by the average listener to the Voice of Prophecy radio broadcast. Relatively few in- stances of argument by sign are found in Mr. Richards' sermons, but where they are present the attribute-substance relationships are identi- fied accurately. The cause—effect arguments in the sermons show ade- quate causal connection. The instances chosen are generally typical and verifiable. In setting forth his arguments, Mr. Richards is usually careful in making his lines of reasoning clear. In instances in which he is not clear it is noticed that he is attempting to prove his points by multiplying texts, and on occasion the excessive number of texts seems to impede the movement of the argument. Mr. Richards orders his arguments within his sermon according to the type of sermon plan he follows. In his theory he speaks about placing the strongest arguments first in inferential sequence, and examination Of his sermons indicates that he attempts to do this. 339 Sermon Invention: fictivating Appeals The impelling motives which Mr. Richards states in his rhetorical theory as important for action response are the same motives to which. he appeals in actual practice. Appeals to action are found all through his sermons as well as in the conclusions, in keeping with his conceptions of the use of appeals. lis appeals to a sense of self—preservation seem especially strong in the context of a probationary time concept in which they are made.- It is noticed that the appeals are kept subordinate to argumentation. In avoiding the use of humor in his sermons, Richards adheres to his norm of suppressing all deliberate attempts at humor. Something of direct suggestion, in which he seeks audience action through explicit statement, appears in the majority of the sermons. The nature of the response of Richards' listeners reveals that his suggestions are followed by a significant degree of action. Sermon Arrangement The order of the thoughts expressed by Mr. Richards in his sermons is skillfully executed, and follows well his theoretical statements. The sermons examined have themes and purposes which are clearly stated for easy determination by the listeners. The sermon plans are characterized by variety within the histor- ical, distributive, and logical categories of arrangement order followed by Richards. The intrinsic nature of these categories is discussed and illustrated in Chapter Four. In his choice of sermon plans, he shows preference for the distributive order of arrangement, making his divisions of material according to the varying nature of his sermon subjects. One 3&0 notable use of the distributive method is the apparent adaptation of the natural divisions within the Bible text chosen as a key text for the sermon. In the sermons in which he inductively employs a number of ’Bible texts the logical order of outlining is well handled. The rhetorical arrangement of materials within the sermon structure of Richards' sermons is consistent with his own principles of disposition. The introductions, with the exception of some in the early years of his radio broadcasting, are interesting and clearly set forth the direction of the sermon object. After the sermon introduction and the emergence of the theme, the pattern of Richards' thoughts appears simple enough to lead his hearers through the discussion of his subject. In the movement from the introduction to the conclusion in his sermons, there is indication of steady progression of thought sequence; and the transitions are smooth. The use of summaries as part of his conclusions seems anticlimactic in some sermons, while in others it appears to be helpful in giving additional emphasis to the main theme of the sermon. In his conclusions Mr. Richards makes definite appeals for action, a practice which is definitely urged in this theory. Sermon Style Instant intelligibility and economy are the chief attributes of Mr. Richards' style. In the sermons examined, he uniformly follows his own counsel that sermons must be composed in simple words that a child can understand. A study of his choice of words reveals a studied effort to avoid terminology which might confuse the bearer. His words are those of ordinary conversation. The short sentence is characteristic in Mr. Richards' sermons; but there is enough variety in sentence length, 3&1 as he advocates, to avoid giving the impression of jerkiness. As had been stated, it is necessary to remember that his sermons are edited carefully before they are broadcast and are therefore relatively free from errors in construction. The use of figurative language is not prevalent in Richards' sermons, but is present to the degree that it is noticeable to his hearers and commented on favorably. Sermon Delivery The listener is the best judge of the delivery factor in speaking. With regard to Mr. Richards' communicating his message in such a way as to gain and hold the attention of a radio audience, the degree of his effectiveness is indicated in the special questionnaire discussed in Chapter Six. His listeners attest to the fact that he is easy to listen to and that his voice conveys warmth and friendliness. The fact that he reads from a manuscript does not appear to hamper his communication with the radio audience in any way. Intelligibility is achieved through a controlled yet varied rate of speaking, and his articulation is precise. while there are some deviations from his own norms of delivery, as noted in Chapter Four, these deviations do not seem significant in terms of adversely affecting his communication. CHAPTER VIII CONCLUSIOHS From this study of the radio preaching of H. M. S. Richards, where the methods of rhetorical criticism have been applied, the following conclusions seem to emerge: 1. It is felt that there are definite advantages in studying contemporary public address. The greatest advantage is the availability of the speaker, because the critic can ask personal questions at length concerning the attitudes, philosophy, creativity, theory, and methodology which are an integral part of the speaking being investigated. while inability to assign ultimate value to the work of a contemporary speaker is one disadvantage, immediate judgments can be made and research data set down for some future appraisal. 2. The religious climate of opinion present in the years of Richards' ministry appears to have influenced his choice of sermon sub- jects and materials more than the historical, political, economic, social, or cultural thoughts which ordinarily impinge upon the ideas of a speaker in a given period of history. 3. The apparent conditioning of Mr. Richards by the background - influences immediately surrouding him of family, teachers, ministers, and friends would suggest that these more proximate forces in a speaker's life are reflected in his work than the societal forces of his cultural milieu. 3&3 “. A wide and varied experience in platform speaking appears to prepare a speaker for effective radio work. During his years of public ministry Mr. Richards evidently gained an understanding of audiences and of ways of adapting speech materials to audiences which has aided him in reaching radio audiences. S. The body of rhetorical theory which Mr. Richards sets forth seems adequate even though it lacks detailed discussion of certain rhetorical constituents. 6. Regarding the question as to whether the survey method of analysis reveals the rhetorical practice of a speaker as accurately as the case study method, it is believed that both approaches have value, in that one method seems to be complemented by the other. 7. The workmanship of Mr. Richards in preparing his radio sermons is significant. His library and files which serve as chief sources for his sermon materials are much above average in scope and quality of sub- ject matter in comparison with those of other contemporary preachers. Mr. Richards' study and devotional habits are diligent and regular. His methods and moods of creativity are unique. The variety in his choices of sermon subjects seems sufficient for reaching his varied radio au- dience. 8. In matters of invention, the following conclusions obtain: 3. Logical argument in the sermons examined is characterized by argument from Scriptural authority. Whatever other forms of reasoning bk; Richards employs in his preaching, his case finally rests on 3 "Thus saith the Lord." If the listener accepts the Bible as authoritative, he finds Mr. Richards' system of truth coherent and consistent. b. Ethical persuasion within the sermon compositions is present, though briefly noted. .;“. .-mzmfi‘.f‘-’r. are-j; a is”: '3. an I . 3m. 0. The motive appeals to self-preservation and religious values which dominate the pathetic arguments are clear and skillfully worded. 9. Arrangement in Mr. Richards' sermons is considered effective in that his lines of argument and sermon divisions are easy to determine and follow. 10. It is felt that Mr. Richards subordinates figurative language in his sermon style in order to insure being understood by all types of radio listeners. 11. The speech personality, characterized by naturalness, warmth, and empathy, which Mr. Richards conveys by his radio voice is powerful, according to his listeners. His ability to read his radio messages from a manuscript in a way that is relatively free from any hint that they are being read is creditable. 12. As measured by results, Mr. Richards may be considered to be a successful radio preacher. However, it is to be reiterated that it is not possible to ascertain how many decisions, contributions, or Bible School enrollments are directly attributable to his preaching except where they are specifically credited by listener testimony. 13. It is believed that Mr. Richards' success is chiefly due to his ethical appeal. He appears to be perceived by his audience as a man with conviction, sincerity, a love for people, and devotion to a cause who speaks personally to each listener.' This effective appeal is definitely supplemented by the clearness and cogency of the logical argumentation found in Richards' sermons. 1a. Radio communication is a cultural, social force, the magnitude of which has been realized to a considerable degree by Mr. Richards. is“ BQS His radio ministry compar .s favorably with that of other religious broadcasters contemporary to him. His contributions to the field of preaching in both theory and practice mark him now as outstanding in his radio pulpit. while critics in the future may re-evaluate his preaching by new and more sharply defined standards of criticism, it should remain, nevertheless, as an example of pulpit excellence. _“Wu .mmfivl I I an. - . . ‘t . Java's; APPENDICES 3&7 APPENDIX I A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH A great tide of religious ferment and spiritual upheaval marked the last few decades of the eighteenth century. It had its inception in spiritual revivals in American educational institutions such as Yale and Princeton. Expounding the fundamental truths of the Bible, certain scholars seemed to find concurrence in an emphasis on the near fulfillment of the prOphecies concerning the second coming of Christ and of the end of the age. {ta—“moms - I..- m3! . I, In the first half of the nineteenth century this interest and enthusiasm on the subject of the Second Advent reached its peak. The continent of Europe, and more particularly the British Isles, became the center of the movement. The renowned Edward Irving of London was an exponent, as was Henry Drummond, member of Parliament. Some of the most noted expositors were the Reverend Hugh McNeile and the Reverend James Haldane Stewart of the Established Church of England. Two ministers of the Free Church of Scotland, Horatius Bonar and Alexander Keith, preached the doctrine with fervent certainty. In Denmark, in Bavaria, in Germany, and in other countries of Europe men of similar caliber became vocal in their belief that the cataclysmic end of all things was at hand, an event to be preceded by the coming of Christ in clouds of glory. Noted travelers like Joseph Wolff, famed as an Orientalist, preached the mes- sage in many lands, notably among the Moslems. One of the most telling treatises on the Second Advent was written by Manuel de Lacunza, a Roman Catholic priest born in Chile, probably the most notable of the« many witnesses in South America. Among those so impressed in America was William Miller, a devout farmer in Low Hampton, New Ybrk, who had given fifteen yéars of inten- sive study to the Bible prOphecies and in 1831 came to the positive conviction that the second advent of Christ was at hand. Feeling com- pelled to declare his views, he began preaching in the pulpits of.such churches as would hear him. Some gave him but little heed; but there were more and more eventually converted to his teachings, among them not a few ministers of varying faiths. Under the support of influential preachers like Jeshua Himes, Charles Fitch, and Josiah Litch of Massa- chusetts, Henry Dana Ward of New York, and many others, the Second Ad- vent doctrine was preached. They itinerated among the churches, drawing immense crowds and creating a profound impression. Multiplied thousands read their published tracts and periodicals; and the movement stirred America to the pioneer West, and even reached the remote corners of the earth. APPENDIX I - Continued 3a3 Among the many Bible prophecies they expounded was the "time prophecy" of Daniel 8:14, "Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Using the principle of counting a prOphetic day for a year (Numbers 14:3“; Ezekiel 4:6), Miller and his colleagues were struck with the accuracy'with which this 2300 days (lit- erally 2300 years), as it was divided in Daniel 9:25-27, pointed out the birth, ministry, and death of Christ. The decree of Artaxerxes I in RS7 B. C. for the rebuilding of Jerusalem marked the beginning of the prophetic period (Daniel 9:27). The sixty-nine weeks (Q83 years) cut off from the 2300 years reached to "Messiah, the Prince," or the baptism of Jesus. In three and a half years, fulfilling the rest of the prOphecy of the seventy weeks, the great sacrifice of the Son of God took place "in the midst" of the last prophetic week. So startling was the obvious interpretation of the day-year theory in application to the 2300 days and the time of the beginning of the ministry of Christ and its end, that these supporters of Miller, with him were convinced that the "cleansing of the sanctuary," whatever that was meant to imply, would take place in 184h. To them it meant the cleansing of this earth from sin; hence, the coming of the Lord. Tens of thousands of people examined their souls, confessed their sins, and made ready for this great event. szu‘I‘u'vL‘xfi '. .3 .4-.'.-‘ ~' ." _ rt: _ 2: I It was not until the expected time for Christ to return in lean came and went, and left the believers in deep confusion and disappoint- ment, that further study uncovered the fact that the sanctuary to be cleansed was in heaven. Miller had mistaken what was to take place at the end of the 2300-day prOphecy. Studying again the sanctuary in the Old Testament, they now interpreted the Day of Atonement observed in the Mosaic tabernacle ser- vice at the end of each year as a type of what was to take place anew in the heavenly sanctuary in the end of prOphetic time. According to this interpretation, Christ, the great High Priest, (see Hebrews 8:1, 2) changed His ministry from the holy place, where He had been ministering since His ascension, to the Most Holy Place, there to cleanse it by blotting out the sins of all those who have accepted the sacrifice He made on Calvary as the Lamb of God. It was not until that work was done, a work of investigation and judgment, that He could return to this earth, bringing His reward with Him for all those found worthy of the heavenly inheritance. A large number of the nominal Adventists who followed Miller went back to their churches after the l8hh disappointment, but a small core of believers who felt that the Lord had led the movement renewed their study of the Bible. Turning to Revelation lu, they saw that the coming of the Lord, verses lu-lé, was to be preceded by a judgment message, verses 6-12, the three phases of which were proclaimed by three angels flying in the midst of heaven. The call was to a worship of the true God, the Creator of the heaven and the earth and the sea and the foun- tains of waters, and the reason for solemn warning was that "the hour of his judgment is come." Earthly judgments are based on existing laws, and these devout seekers after truth in the 1844 movement found that the Decalogue of the Old Testament, the moral law approved by Christ, was to APPENDIX I - Continued 349 be the standard of conduct on which the records of men would be judged. Men were commanded to live as those who "shall be judged by the law of liberty” (James 2:12). They saw that the seventh day of the week had been given by God to commemorate His creative authority, and that it had been set aside as a special and specific day for worship and spiritual contemplation. (See Exodus 20:8-11.) These few believers, by now only a small company, began thenceforth to observe the seventh day of the week as the true Sabbath, taught by the Scriptures and kept by the Saviour, as God's weekly memorial. From their unshaken belief in the soon return of the Lord, and their conviction that the judgment-hour message of Revelation 14 was a message of Sabbath reform, they were organized in 1861 under the name Seventh-day Adventists as an appropriate identifying mark of their beliefs. Seventh-day Adventists came out of all the evangelical churches in response to a call for a thorough preparation of body and soul for the coming of Jesus Christ. They brought with them the precious heri- tage of a profound belief in the basic truths first given to the Christian ; church by Christ and the apostles, and perpetuated by loyal believers ;‘ in all ages. The denomination arose at a time when the religious world 35 had renewed its interest in a study of the Bible; hence Seventh-day wJ Adventists from that day to this have been diligent students of the word of God, and have accepted it as their one authority and standard in re- ligion. Believing as they do that the time is hastening on space when Christ shall be revealed in the clouds of heaven, and that "this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matthew 24:1h), Seventh-day Adventists have launched a world-wide program of gospel promulgation. This program is carried on under four phases: (1) the teaching of the gospel of health; (2) Christian education of the children and youth; (3) the publication and scattering of Christian literature; (4) personal evangelism by the preaching of the word of God. It is within the context of this fourth phase of the overall church program in the Seventh-day Adventist church that Mr. Richards carries on his radio ministry. H. M. Tippett, Seventh-day Adventists--Pe0ple of the Book, (Washington, D. C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1961, pp. 13-17. Alonzo L. Baker, Belief and Work of Seventh-day Adventists, (Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, l9u2), p. 15. APPENDIX II VOICE OF PROPHECY PROGRAM NETWORK COVERAGE NATIONAL BROADCASTING COMPANY, MUTUAL BROADCASTING SYSTEM, AMERICAN BROADCASTING COMPANY AND SPOT W ——————.—CALIFORNIA Birmingham WAPI 1070 9:30 AM Alturas KCNO 570 9:30 AM WAPI-FM 99.5 9:30 AM Bakersfield KMPC 1560 10:30 AM Decatur WIVBL 1400 9:30 AM Bishop KIBS 1230‘ 8:30 AM Florence WJOI 1340 12:00 NOON Chico KPAY 1060 9:30 AM Mobile WABB 1480 9:00 AM Coalinga KBMX 1470 8:30 AM Montgomery mmy 1mm 9:00 AM El Centro KICO 1490 9:00 PM Sylacauga WEB 1340 9:30 AM Eureka KIEM 1480 9:00 AM Fort Bragg KDAC 1230 9:00 AM AIASKA Fresno ' KYNO 1300 9:30 AM . King City ICRKC 1570 9:00 AM Anchorage KENI 550 7:30 PM Lodi KCVR 1570 10:30 AM Fairbanks KFAR 660 7:30 PM Los Angeles KABC 790 9:00 PM Juneau KJNO 630 9:00 AM KABC-FM 95.5 9:00 PM Ketchikan KTKN 930 10:00 AM KHJ 930 9:30 AM Sitka KIFW 1230 1.00 PM Monday thru Saturday Daily KIEV 870 8:00 AM ARIZONA. Marysville KMYC 1410 9:30 AM KMYC-FM 99.9 9:30 AM Bisbee KSUN 1230 9:30 AM Napa KVON 1150 9:30 AM Douglas KAPR 930 9:00 AM Palm Springs KCMJ 1010 10:05 AM Flagstaff KCLS 600 9:30 AM Paso Robles KPRL 1230 9:30 AM Globe (See Miami) Bedding KRDG 1230 9:30 AM Miami KIKO 1340 9:30 AM Riverside KPRO 1440 9:30 AM Nogales KNOG 1340 9:00 AM Sacramento KCRA 1320 9:30 AM Phoenix KTAR 620 9:30 AM SanBernardino KCKC 1350 9:30 AM Prescott KYCA 1490 9:30 AM San Diego KGB 1360 9:00 PM Tucson KTAN 580 9:30 AM KSON 1240 9:30 AM Yuma KYUM 560 9:30 AM SantaBarbara K'I‘MS 1250 10:00 AM KVOY 1400 9:30 AM SanFrancisco KOO-FM 103.7 9:00 PM KGO 810 9:00 PM ARKANSAS KNBC-FM 99.7 9:30 AM KNBC 680 9:30 AM Fort Smith ICFSA 950 5:30PM S. L. Obispo ' KVEC 920 6:00 PM Harrison [(1102 900 9:30 AM Susanville KSUE 1240 9:00 AM Helena KFFA 1360 8:30 AM Tulare-Visalia KCOK 1270 8:00 PM Jonesboro KB'I'M 1230 10:30 AM KB'I'M-PM 101.9 10:30 AM COLORADO Little Rock KARK 920 9:30 AM . KXDE 1380 8:30 AM Alamosa KGIW 1450 8:30 AM Springdale KBRS 1390 10:00 AM Colorado Spgs. KYSN 1460 10:00 AM f... - “him—..finu—u .1“. m“ i “u APPENDIX II - Continued COLORADO (Continued) Cortez KVFC 740 8:30 AM Craig KRAI 550 0:30 AM Denver KIMN 950 9:00 AM Glenwood Spgs. KGLN 980 8:30 AM Grand Junct'n mm .920 9:30 AM Pueblo KGHF 1350 9:30 AM --—--CONNECTICUT* Hartford WPOP 1410 10:30 AM New London (See Old Saybrook) Old Saybrook WLIS 1420 10:30 AM Putnam WINY’1350 10:30 AM --——-—-—DELAWARE Wilmington WILM 1450 9:30 AM __—DISTRICT OF COLUMBLN————__. Takoma P'k WG'I‘S-FM 91.9 6:30 PM Washington WRC 980 9:30 AM WRC-FM 93.9 9:30 AM PLORIDA Avon Park WAVP 1390 10:30 AM Clewiston WSUG 1050 8:00 AM Daytona Bch. WROD 1340 10:30 AM Dade City WDCF 1350 8:00 AM DeFuniak Sp. WZEP 1460 9:00 AM East Palatka WREA 1480 9:30 AM Ft. Pierce WARN 1330 8:30 AM Gainesville WRUF 850 9:30 AM WRUF-FM 104.1 9:30 AM Jacksonville WJAX 930 9:30 AM Lakeland WIAK 1430 9:30 AM Miami WGBS 710 9:00 AM WGBS-FM 96.3 8:00 AM Orlando WDBO 580 8:30 AM WDBO-FM 92.3 8:30 AM Palatka WSUZ 800 9:30 AM Panama City WPCF 1430 10:30 AM Pensacola WCOA 1370 10:30 AM St. Petersb'g WSUN 620 9:30 AM Tallahassee WMEN 1330 8:00 AM vero Beech WAXE 1370 9:30.NM 351 —-———GEORGIA Atlanta WGUN 1010 10:30 AM Augusta WGAC 580 10:00 AM Cleveland WRWH 1350 8:00 AM Columbus WDAK 540 9:30 AM Cordele WM‘IM 1490 9:00 PM Fitzgerald WBHB 1240 7:00 PM Griffin WKEU 1450 9:00 PM Macon WRPB 1350 9:00 AM Rome WLAQ 1410 9:00 PM Savannah WSAV 630 10:30 AM valdosta WGAF 910 7:30 AM Waycross WAYX 1230 10:30 AM West Point WRLD 1490 9:30 AM GUAM Agana KUAM 610 8:30 AM HAWAII Address A11 Mail Box 55, Henolulu 10, Hawaii Hilo KIPA 1110 5:30 PM Honolulu KGU 760 9:30 AM IDAHO» Boise KGEM 1140 8:30 AM Burley KBAR 1230 8:30 AM Idaho Falls KIFI 1260 8:30 AM Moscow- KRPL 1400 8:30 AM Pocatello KSEI 930 9:30 AM Salmon KSRA 960 9:15 AM Twin Falls KLIX 1310 8:30 AM ILLINOIS Chicago ‘WMAQ 670 9:30 AM WMAQ-FMlOl . l 9: 30 AM Danville WITY 980 9:30 AM Effingham WCRA 1090 2:00 PM Harvard WMCW 1600 9:30 AM Peoria WIRL 1290 9:00 AM Quincy (See Hannibal, Mo.) South Beloit WBEL 1380 7:00 PM Springfield WCVS 1450 8:30 AM . — -——— A——.—1 -.;:V,‘Y-' ‘. u m .v\ 1. - 3' 352 APPENDIX II - Continued INDIANA MAINE WAB : 0 AM Evansville WGBF 1280 9:30 AM Bangor I 910 10 3 Portland WCSH 970 9:30 AM Ft. Wayne WKJG 1380 9:30 AM WKJG-FM 106.1 9.30 AM Presque Isle WEGP 1390 7:00 PM ‘ Waterville WTVL 1490 10:05 AM (Daylight Saving Observed Year-Round) Indianapolis WIRE 1430 9:30 AM MA Peru WAR!) 1600 9:30 AM “11mm” . Baltimore WWIN 1400 9:30 AM 10w" Frostburg WFRB 740 10:30 AM Burlington KBUR 1490 10:00 AM “gersm‘m 14:13:35; :31? 13:38 2:: Cedar Rapids KCRG 1600 7:30 .AM ’ u ' Davenport KS'I'I‘ 1170 9:00 AM Salisbury WJDY l 70 10:30 AM Des Moines KIOA 940 9:30 AM Mason City KSMN 1010 9:00 AM MASSACHUSM Shenandoah KFNF 920 9:30 AM Boston WORL 950 9:30 AM , A9 WTAO 740 9:30 AM "ANS". Fall River HALE 1400 8:30 ,AM . _ Springfield WTXL 1490 9:30 AM gfig’mn" chqm 3:813:32 2:: Worcester woac 1310 10:30 AM Garden City KNCO 1050 9:30 AM Wichita KIRL 1070 9:30 AM ”mum” " Alpena WATZ 1450 9:30 AM “ENTUCKY Battle Creek WELL 1400 11:00 AM WlBJ-FM 101.1 9,30 AM Goldwater W'I'VB 1590 9:00 AM Fulton WFUL 1270 9:30 AM Bet ,t WT”3;53 is}: 3333 AM Louisville WAVE 970 9:30 AM’ ’°1 - AM Paducah WDXR 1560 9:30 AM Escanaba WIST 600 10:00 AM Pineville WMLF 1230 8°30 AM Grand Rapids WOOD 1300 9:30 AM ' Iron Mtn. WMIQ 1450 8:30 AM Ironwood WJPS 630 9-30 AM LOUISIANA - Ludington WKLA 1450 9:30 AM Alexandria KSYL 970 9:30 AM M9nisins WMAB 1400 9:00 AM Baton Rouge WYNK 1380 9:00 AM’ Niles WNIL 1290 9:00 AM Bogalusa WIKC 1490 9:30 AM Petoskey WMBN 1340 9:30 AM Lake Charles KPLC 1u70 9:30 AM For? Huron wTTH 1380 7:30 PM Mansfield mac 1350 2:00 PM Saginaw WSAM 1400 9:30 AM Monroe mg 1440 9:30 AM WSAM-FM 98.1 9:30 AM New Orleans : WJMR 990 9:30 AM Sault Ste Marie . WORM-FM 97.1 9:30 AM W300 1230 7:30 PM Opelousaa xsm 1230 10:00 AM. Traverse City WC'IM 1400 9:30 AM Shreveport KREB 1550 9:30 :AM - KRMD 1340 8:30 AM ----—MINNEsorA KRMD-FM 101.1 8:30 AM Albert Lea ' KATE~H1450 7:30 PM Duluth Int'l Falls wQMM‘1320 9:30 AM 0303 800 9:00 PM ‘ =_.._.__...‘ —. ““1 h A U. ‘:_ APPENDIX II - Continued MINNEOTA (Continued) Long Prairie, KBYL 1400 9:30 AM Mankato KYSM 1230 9:30 AM KXSM-FM 1035 9:30 AM Minneapolis WTCN 1280 10:00 .AM Rochester KROC 1340 9:30 AM St. Cloud KFAM 1450 9:30 AM KFAM-FM 104.7 9:30 AM St. Paul (See Minneapolis) St. Peter KRBI 1310 10:00 AM Wadena KWAD 920 9:30 1AM Willmar KWLM 1340 10:30 AM MISSISSIPPI Biloxi WLOX 1490 10:30 AM Greenville WJPR 1330 9:30 :AM Greenwood WORM 1240 9:30 AM Gulfport (See Biloxi) Hattiesburg WFOR 1400 9:30 AM McComb WHNY 1250 10:00 AM Meridian WMOX 1240 4:30 PM Natchez WMIS 1240 9:30 AM Vicksburg WOBC 1420 9:30 .AM Wasp Point WROB 1450 9:30 :AM EHSSOUR! Hannibal KHMO 1070 9:30 AM Jf'son.City KWOS 1240 9:30 :AM KNOB-FM 98.5 9:30 :AM Kansas City WDAF 610 9:30 :AM St. Louis WEW 770 9:30 {AM Monday thru Saturday Daily WEW 770 9:45 AM Springfield KGBX 1260 9:30 AM VIJKHHMOUL Billings KBMY 1240 8:30 AM Butte KOPR 550 8:30 AM Great Falls‘ KMON 560 8:30 AM Kalispell KGEZ 600 9:30 AM Livingston- Bozeman KPRK 1340 8:30 1AM Missoula NOTE 1340 8:30 .AM Sidney KGCX 1480 8:00 PM 353 -—————-——NEBRASKA Alliance KCOW 1400 9:30 AM Grand Island KMMJ 750 9:30 AM Lincoln KLMS 1480 9:30 AM North Platte KODY 1240 9:30 AM Omaha KMEO 660 9:00 AM Scottsbluff KNEB 960 9:30 AM Sidney KSID 1340 9:30 AM NEVADA Elko KELK 1240 9:30 AM Fallon KVLV 1260 9:30 AM Las Vegas KORK 1340 8:30 AM Reno KBET 1340 9:30 AM -——-——NEW HAMPSHIRE—47 Keene WKNE 1290 10:30 AM -h———-——NEW JERSEY Atlantic City' WLDB 1490 10:30 AM NEW MEXICO Albuquerque KGGM 610 9:30 AM Farmington KZUM 1280 9:00 AM Las Cruces KGRT 570 9:30 AM Lovingtoq KLEA 630 8:30 :AM Raton KRIN 1490 9:30 AM Roswell KSWS 1230 9:30 AM NEW YORK Albany WOKO 1460 10:30 AM Binghamton- Endicott WINR 680 9:30 AM Buffalo WBNY 1400 8:00 AM Corning WCLI 1450 10:30 AM Jamestown WJOC 1 340 9: 30 AM Little Falls WLFH 1230 9:30 AM Malone WICY 1490 10:30 AM New YCrk WABC 770 9:30 AM WNBC 660 9:30 AM WNBC-FM 97.1 9:30 AM Ogdensburg W813 1400 12:35 PM Rochester WVET 1280 9:30 AM Saranac Lake WNBZ 1240 9:30 AM Syracuse WSOQ 1220 10:30 AM ”ff—*4..- .—-’: ...-“1 «w ’1: Asheville WISE 1310 8:00 AM Belmont WCGC 1270 10:30 AM Charlotte (See Belmont) Elizabeth City WGAI 560 10:30 AM Fayetteville WFNC 1390 9:00 AM Henders'n'vle WHKP 1450 10:30 AM Hickory WHKY 1290 10:00 AM High Point WHPE 1070 9:00 AM WHPE-FM 95.5 9:00 AM Kinston WFTC 960 9:30 AM Lenoir WJRI 1340 10:30 AM Mt. Airy WSYD 1300 10:30 AM New Bern WHIT 1450 10:30 AM Raleigh WKIX 850 9:30 AM Reidsville WFRC 1600 10:00 AM Rocky Mount WEED 1390 9:30 PM WEED-FM 92.1 9:30 PM Shelby WOHS 730 10:30 AM ---—-—NORTH DAKOTA Fargo WDAY 970 9:30 AM Jamestown KSJB 600 7:00 PM Minot KLPM 1390 9230 AM . Williston KGCX 1480 9:00 PM a, sOHIcr— Cincinnati WLW 700 9:30 AM Cleveland WJW 850 9:30 AM WJW-FM 1045.1 9:30 AM E. Liverpool WOHI 1490 9:30 AM WOHI-FM 10413 9:30 AM 11mm WIMA'1490 9:30 AM WIMA-FM 102d. 9:30 AM’ Marietta‘ WMOA 1490' 9:30 AM Steubenville WSTV 1340 10:30 AM WSTV-FM 103.5 10:30 AM Tiffin WTTF 1600 10:30 AM Ybungstown— Warren WHHH 1440 10:30- AM Zanesville WHIZ 1240 9:30 AM ~rOKLAHOMA Ardmore KVSO 1240 10:00 AM Miami KGIC 910 10:45 AM Oklahoma C'y KTOK 1000 9:30 AM Tu1sa KAKC 970 8:00 AM APPENDIX 11 - Continued NORTH CAROLINA 354 OREGON Albany KUIL 790 9:30 AM KWIL—FM 10L] 9:30 AM Astoria KAST 1370 9:30 AM Eugene KASH 1600 9:00 PM KORE 1450 9:30 AM Grants Pass KAGI 930 9:00 AM Klamath Falls KAGO 1150 7:30 AM Medford KBOY 730 9:00 AM Newport KNPT 1310 9:00 AM Portland KWJJ 1080 9:30 AM Roseburg KQEN 1240 10:00 AM Salem KSLM 1390 9:30 AM PENNSYLVANIA Altoona WRTA 1240 9:30 AM Bradford WESB 1490 10:15 AM Clearfield WCPA 900 9:30 AM Corry WOTR 1370 8:00 AM Coudersport WFRM 600 10:00 AM Harrisburg WKBO 1230 9:30 AM Hazelton WAZI. 1490 9: 30 AM JChnstown WJAC 1400 9:30 AM WJAC-FM 95.5 9:30 AM Lancaster WGAL 1490 9:30 AM WGAL-FM 101.3 9:30 AM Lock Haven WPBZ 1230 10:30 AM Oil City WKRZ 1340 9:30 AM Philadelphia WRCV 1060 9:30 1AM Pittsburgh KQV 1410 9:30 AM Reading WRAW 1340 9:30 AM Scranton WSCR 1320 9:30 AM St. Mary's WKBI 1400 10:30 .AM wellsborg WNBT 1490 10:30 AM Wilkes-Barre WBRE 1400 9:30 AM WILK 980 9:30 AM Williamsport WRAK 1400 9:30 AM WRAK-FM 1003 9:30 AM York WORK 1350 8:00 AM --—-RHODE ISLAND Providence WICE 1290 8:30 AM -—-—SOUTH CAROLINA Charleston WOKE 1340 6:00 PM ~WTMA 1250 9:30 AM Conway WIAT 1330 4:30 PM Florence WJMX 970 10:00 AM : “Tr. , . Tar—g -: .' APPENDIX II - Continued SOUTH CAROLINA (Continued) Georgetown WGTN luOO 10:30 AM Greenville WMRB lh90 10:30 AM Greenwood WCRS 1&50 9:30 AM WCRS-PM 95.7 9:30 AM Greer WCKI 1300 10:30 AM Orangeburg WDIX 1150 10:30 AM Spartanburg WORD 910 9:30 AM -———————SOUTH DAKOTA Huron ’ KIJV 1390 3:30 PM Mitchell KORN 1&90 9:30 AM Rapid City KRSD l3h0 “:00 PM Yankton WNAX 570 10:05 .AM TENNESSEE Bristol WOPI 1h9D 9:30 AM WOPI—FM 96.9 9:30 AM Chattanooga WAPO 1150 9:15 AM Clarksville WJZM luOO 9:30 AM Dyersburg WTRO 1330 9:30 AM Jackson WTJS 1390 10:00 AM WTJS-FM 100.7 10:00 AM Kingsport WKPT lhOO 9:30 AM WKPT-FM 98.5 9:30 AM Knoxville WATE 620 9:30 AM Manchester WPBR 1320 9:30 AM Memphis WMC 790 9:30 AM WMCF 99.7 9:30 AM Nashville WSIX 980 8:00 PM WSIx-FM 97.5 8:00 PM Savannah WORM 1010 10:30 AM TEXAS Alice KOPY 1070 1:30 PM Alpine KVLF 12h0 9:30 AM Amarillo KBUY 1010 9:30 AM Beaumont (See Port Arthur) Corpus Christi (See Alice) Dallas “ WFAA 820 9:00 AM Houston KXYZ 1320 6:30 PM Laredo KVOZ lh90 9:30 AM Longview KFRO 1370 10:30 AM Lubbock KCVD 1590 9:30 AM Midland KJBC 1150 12:15 PM Nacogdoches KEEE 1230 8:30 AM Pecos KIUN 1900 9:30 AM TEXAS (Continued) 355 Perryton ’ KEYE 1hOO 9:30 AM Port Arthur KPAC 1250 9:30 AM Rusk KTLU 1580 9:15 AM San Antonio KMAC 630 8:00 PM Texarkana KCMC 1230 10:00 AM Victoria KVIC l3h0 9:30 AM Waco KWTX 1230 9:30 AM Westaco KRGV 1290 10:05 AM UTAH Logan KVNE 610 8:30 AM Moab KURA 1&50 8:30 AM Ogden KLO 1&30 8:30 AM Price KOAL 1230 8:30 AM Provo KOVO 960 8:30 AM Salt Lake City KALL 910 8:30 AM VERMONT Burlington. WCAX 620 9:30 AM Newport WIKE 1h9O 10:30 AM Rutland WSYB 1380 10:30 AM St. Johnsbury' WTWN 13h0 10:30 AM VIRGINIA Bristol (See Bristol, Tenn.) Charlottesv'le WINA lhOO 9:30 AM WINA-FM 95.3 9:30 AM Harrisonburg WSVA 550 10:00 AM WSVA-PM 1007 10:00 AM Lynchburg WLVA 590 9:30 AM Norfolk-Portsmouth WLOW 1400 8:30 AM Marion WMEV 1010 10:30 AM Orange WJMA 13140 9:30 AM Pennington Gap WSWV 1570 9:30 AM (Monday thru Saturday Daily WSWV 1570 9:30 AM Richmond WRNL 910 8:00 AM WRNL-FM 102.1 8:00 AM Roanoke WSLS 610 9:30 AM WSLS-FM 99.1 9:30 AM Staunton WTON 12uo 9:30 AM Waynesboro WAYB 1&90 10:30 AM Wytheville WYVE 1280 10:30‘ AM Williamsburg WBCI 7&0 8:30 AM u“ a3.1 .. l‘ “mu.“ “1Ifl . - —————-WASHING‘10N— Centralia- Chehalis KELA 11470 9:30 AM Longview KEDO luoo 9:00 PM Olympia KGY 121:0 9:30 AM Prosser KARY 1310 8:30 AM Seattle KIRO 710 9:00 AM Spokane KGA 1510 9:30 AM KLYK 1230 7:30 PM. Walla Walla KUJ 1&20 7:00 PM Wenatchee KUEN 900 8:30 AM Yakima KIMA 1u60 9:00 AM —-——WBT VIRGINL‘. Bluefield WHIS 1M0 9:30 AM Charleston WKAZ 950 9:30 AM Clarksburg WBOY MOO 9:30 AM Logan WLOG 1230 10:30 AM Montgomery' WMON 131:0 9:30 AM Morgantown WAJR who 9: 30 AM WAJR-FM 99.3 9:30 AM Parkersburg WPAR thO 9:30 AM Welch " WOVE 1340 8:00 AM wheeling wxwx'luoo 9:30 AM WKWK-FM 97.3 9:30 AM -————-——-WISCONSIN Beloit (See South Beloit, 111.) Eau Claire WBIZ 11:00 11:30 AM Fond du Lac KFIZ thO 9:30 AM Hayward WHSM 910' 9:30 AM Madison WIBA 1310 9:30 AM Marinette- , WMAM 570 9:30 AM Rice Lake WJMC 1240 9:30 AM Sparta WCOW 1290 9:30 AM Superior (See Duluth, Minnesota, WOW) WCUIOLI Casper Douglas Lander Newcastle APPENDIX II - Continued WSAU 550 9:00 WLIN-FM 100.7 9:00 Wisc. Rapids WFHR 1320 9:30 WFHR-FM 103.3 9:30 ‘VYOMING PM PM AM KVOC 1230 10:00 [WW 1050 1:30 KOVE 1330 8:15 KASL 12h0 7:30 AM PM AM AM WYOMING (Continued) Powell Rawins Rock Spr. Sheridan KPOW 1260 REAL 1240 KVRS 1360 KWYO lulO 8:30 8:30 8:30 8:30 356 _.___‘ .A_._—-wunn-4 m A“. 1‘!- ,J 3S7 APPWDIX III AN EXAMPLE OF THE SCRIPT FORMAT FOLLOWED IN THE Box 55 QUARTET: QUARTET: IVERSEN: QUARTET: IVERSEN: QUARTET: (1st song) IVERSEN: QUARTET: (2nd song) ORGAN: RICHARDS: QUARTET: VOICE OF PROPHECY RADIO BROADCAST THE VOICE OF PROPHECY Page 1 56 3-52 g ‘— December 23,1956 1 "Jesus Is Coming Again." Followed by . . Theme: ‘ (as sec.) Humming -- Up, then hold under. This is The voice of Prophecy -- a voice crying in the wilderness of these modern days: ”Prepare ye the way of the Lord." Up and out. From our Voice of PrOphecy studios in Los Angeles, California, we welcome you to this half- hour of inspiration and music transcribed with the King's Heralds, Del Delker, Brad Braley, and H. M. S. Richards, the Voice of Prophecy speaker. (Organ intro. already on tape for "Angels Singing O'er the Plains.") "Angels Singing O'er the Plains." Cold (no organ The King' 8 Heralds have just recorded a new arrangement of the perennial favorite carol "Silent Night.” It is for 2 quartets with 1st tenor solo, and done by multiple recording. "Silent Night.” Chimes. Prayer. ”Near to the heart or God." -- Up, then hold under. APPENDIX III - Continued 358 S6-E—S2 I“: 2°92 2f_P£°2hscz .. .. .. .. _ 2856.2 ...... ' .. _ 2628213533 -..1252 RICHARDS: "0 Jesus, blest Redeemer, Sent from the heart of God, Hold us who wait before Thee Near to the heart of God.” QUARTET: Amen. Up and out. IVERSHI: Everyone is gift-conscious at this time of year. The greatest Gift ever given, of course, was the gift of God's only begotten Son to this world, that each of us might have eternal life. Along with this precious Gift to each and every one us, in God's gift of His Word as found in the Holy Scriptures. It is always a compliment to the Giver when the gift is not only accepted but used to meet its intended purpose. It is estimated that there are over 250 million Bibles throughout Nbrth America . . . but, are they used as much as they should be? May we suggest that we honor the Giver more? . . . he that we read His Word each day? .53.; ...; -.-l'.h_.«'_'l .':a_a« We should like to suggest that you allow the Faith Bible Correspondence Course to help you in your study of the Bible. This course, attractively printed, and rich in illustrations, facts, and Bible texts, will help you as you study the great themes of the Bible. It will serve as an outline for you. All you need to study the Faith Bible Course is your Bible and a pen or pencil. The course is absolutely free. You assume no obli- gations. The last few weeks have witnessed a tre- mendous increase in applications for this unique Bible study course. ‘ To have the lessons come your way, all you need to do is to write to The Voice of Prophecy, Box 55, Los Angeles, California. Let's use our gift of the Word of God to the glory of the Giver and to the satisfaction of our personal needs. Del Delker and the quartet join now to bring us a Spanish carol that has been heard on our Voice of Prophecy broadcast in the language of Inter- America and South America. La Virgen (veer-hen) Lava Panales (Pahn - ya - lays) or ”The Virgen Washes Swaddling Clothes.” 5 PART: (3rd song) "La Virgen Lava Panales." ORGAN: Organ.modulation during. APPENDIX III - Continued 359 56-E-52 The Pics 2f.P£°ahscz _ .. .. .. .. 2656-3. .. .. - _. _ _. _ RegesberEvJE-‘Sé IVERSEN: And now, just before H. M. S. Richards' QUARTET: RICHARDS : QUARTET: IVERSEN: RICHARDS: (nth song) (Last'song) message for today entitled, "What Jesus Said about Himself." The quartet sings a contemporary carol about Jesus' birth, death, and coming again, "Christ Is Born." ”Christ Is Born." Talk: "What Jesus Said About Himself." ”God Is Love.” When you receive our monthly publication, the Voice of Prophecy NEVIS, you will find today's ser- ' mon entitled "What Jesus Said About Himself" printed in its complete form. If you would like to have this sermon, just write to us and ask for the voice of Prophecy NEWS along with today's sermon. Be sure to request the December issue of the Voice of Prophecy NEWS. In addition to today's sermon you will also find a report of progress and activities regarding the VOice of Prophecy's worldwide program. You will meet VOice of Prophecy personalities. Many persons write in saying they find the voice of PrOphecy NEWS intensely interesting. Why not have this newspaper come to you? Just request the Voice of Prophecy NEWS. Our address is . . . The Voice of Prophecy, Box 55, Los Angeles, California. we want to thank our many listeners who have sent us letters of appreciation and gifts to help the broadcast continue on the air. These mean so much to us in meeting the needs in carrying on this broadcast each week around the world. This is Orville Iversen, associate minister of The Vbice of Prophecy, saying that as the shep- herds watched the heavens to find the Babe in Bethlehem, let us look up and go . . . FORWARD IN FAITH! \ Have faith in God -- The Father by the Son revealed; Have faith in God -- To us the Son of man appealed; Have faith in God -- Through Jesus Christ our faith - is sealed. Have faith, dear friend, in God. HMSR We hope this transcribed program has served to give you spiritual strength for the coming week. ‘I-n' - APPENDIX III - Continued 360 56-E-52 RICHARDS: (cont'd) Now -- we invite you to join us next week -- at the same time -- for another broadcast brought to you by The Voice of Prophecy "The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” --Numbers 6:2h-26. fr QUARTET: Amen. Up and out. ORGAN: Up and fill to close. ‘In , F ~fl-fZ—r7‘6m' fifl - i 361 APPENDIX IV TOPICAL LISTING OP FILE FOLDERS . IN THE LETTER FILES OF H. M. S. RICHARDS .A- Advent , Second Advertising Aged (Allen ltrs) Ambition America Amusements Andreasen Angels Good-evil Anglo Israel . Anti-Christ Anti-Infidel Material American Bible College Anger Apocrypha Apostasy Archaeology (3 folders). Ark Stories Armageddon (3 folders) Asia Association Assurance Astrology Astronomy Atheism Atomic Age Baccalaureate Addresses Bahaism Ballinger Ballardism ( I AM ) Baptism (Preparation for) Barnhouse (Eternity Magazine) Bible Helps (3 folders) Bible MSS Bible Museum Bible Numerics Bible Research Bible New-Old Testament (2 folders) Bible (Study Of) Bible (What men say about it) Biblical Biography Biets, A. L. Biography (2 folders) Blind Blue Laws Books Books For Soldiers Bricker Amendment Britain Broadcasting Material (General) Brooks Keith L. American Prophecy League Buddhism Business -c- Calendar Change California Camp Meeting Cancer Canright, D. M. Character Charts Child Evangelism Children (Personal) China, Far East Christ Christ Our Pattern Christ, Miracles Christ, Life of Christ, Priest, Savior Christ, Divinity of Christ and Resurrection Christ, Garden Tomb Christ, Wednesday Crucifixion Christ, Thursday Crucifixion Christ, Friday Crucifixion Christ, Three Days, Three Nights Christian Living. Christian Science Christian Record (For Blind) k O-WA A _ ‘."' J‘- APPENDIX IV - Continued Chronology (Calendar) (3 folders) ChurchtAttendance Church Adventist..SDA Church Dedications Church Federation Church Building Church Discipline Church Amusements Church of Christ Church of God Seventh-day Civil Defense Classics (Quotations) Code-Censorship College College of Medical Evangelists Colporteurs Commentaries Committee on Doctrine Communion Communism (2 folders) Conference Reports Confession Conscience Conversions (2 folders) Converts Copyright Counselling Counsellors Covenants Creation Crime Criticism Crucifixion Cults .0- Dance Daniel and Revelation (Book) Dark Day "Daily" Dead, State of Dead Sea Scrolls Debates (2 folders) Defense-JLiterature Committee De'Haan Dr. (Radio Evangelist) Denominations , Protestant Depression ‘ Determination Devil Devotions Diet Dispensationalism Discouragement Divorce Dope Dress Duty .15. Earthquakes Easter Education Emotions (In Preaching etc) End of the world Envy Ethiopia Evangelism Evangelism, Councils on Evangelists Evidences , Christian Evolution (3 folders) Excuses .9- Facts, Statistics Failure Faith, Righteousness by Faith For Today False Christa and Prophets Family Altar Fasting Father Famines Federal Council of Churches Feeling Fellowship Meetings Finances, Evangelism Finances, Personal Finances, Radio Flood Floridation of Water Flying Saucers Fossils Ford John Forest Fires Forgiveness Freeways Friendship Froom Fuller (2 folders) Fundamentalists 362 ‘73.. 1 -. 3.. Eva- . ask .a 4’ . Z.“ a! mi: son—77s 36 3. APPENDIX IV - Continued Funerals V and Materials Futurism -G- Gamble Theory Gambling Games , Bible Garden Tomb General Conference God-Trinity Gospel, Progress of Graduation Addresses Grace Guidance nu. Happiness Health Healing Heart \ Heathen Rel ig ions Heaven, New Earth Hell , Wicked Higher Criticism Hobbies Holy Spirit, Unpardonable Sin Home Home Nursing Home Study Institute ’ Houses Humility Hypnotism -1- Illustrations (3 folders) Infidelity Imortal ity Indians Influence and Example Intelligence and Knowledge .3. Jehovah' s Witnesses Jews Jonah Jones , A. .T. (Former Seventh-day Adventist attacking) Jones, E. B. (Same) _C 4." Judgment Justification Juvenile Del inquency -K- Kindness King's Heralds Knowl edge , Invent ions -L- Labor Unions Languages Latter Rain Law (3 folders) Law, Ceremonial Laymen Lectures Leiski, Town Hall Letters , general Letters, critics (one in here not preaching) Letters, incoming Life insurance Library-Study Literature, Tracts etc. Lord's Supper Love of God Loveland Colorado Loyalty Luther and Lutherans -M- Mailing Lists mS--Revival Sermons MES-«Advancing science of time Maps Marriage and Divorce Medical Men Metals of the Bible Military Service Millenium Ministerial Association Missions Ministry, Seventh-day Adventist Ministry, Preaching Mithra Modern Cults Modernism AR 'i‘n ‘41-‘46! Imam, If “kw; _f"- j A. ‘3! " ‘.. 36“ APPENDIX IV - Continued_ Money ‘w Moon Mormonism (2 folders) Mother Motion Pictures -N- Names, List of Names, Family Names, Towns National Council of Churches Nature Neo-Orthodoxy New Year Nun Combatancy Nurse . Obedience Obituaries Offshoots Old People Olympic Games Once Saved Always Saved / Opposition Ordinances Ordinations Other programs Others Oxford movement up- Pacifism Pagans Palestine Papacy Passover Patience, submission Peace Peace of Mind Pentecostalism Persecution Personal work for individuals Personal..newspaper clippings etc. Personal experiences..sabbath keeping Philosophy Pictures Plans, Evangelistic, literature etc. , Prophecies on Revelation Poetry, HMS Poetry, others..sent in etc. Praise Prayer, answer to Prayer, Preaching--Richards Predestination Press Pride, Conceit Probation Profession, pretense Prophecy Prophecy by men (2 folders) (Elsner) Prophetic Interpretations Protestantism Providence--Miracles Psychology Public Relations Purpose in life Puzsles Pyramids 'u 7.7:??? T737“; '. 1 in: .FF.‘ Ya. I: 1" x. -Q- Quartette Questions on Doctrine Questions (7 folders) -R- Race, degeneracy of Races Radio, preaching etc. Radio Stations Radiation..radio active time Radio Stories VOP Rapture Theory Reading Redemption Relatives Religions-~Others Religious liberty (2 folders) Remnant Church..Sifting of Repentance, confession Resurrections Reverence and Respect Revival and reformation Richards , HMJ Richards, HMS Richards, HMS, Lectures on Preaching. APPENDIX IV - Continued Richards, HMS Jr. v; Richards, Jan ‘w Richards, Kenneth Rogers..Righteousness Rome (5 folders) Russellism Russiap-Communism .8- Sabbath ' Sabbath, Enemies of (h folders Sabbath Observance Sabbath School Sacrifice Salvation Sanctification / Sanctuary Sanctuary opponents Satan Science Segregation Secret Rapture Secret Societies Self-Denial Self-Improvement Selfishness Seminary Sermons, HMJ ' Sermons Others (5 folders) Sermons current VOP Sermon Suggestions Service Seventh-day Adventists (2 folders) SDA attacks upon SDA origin SDA others SDA enemies (2 folders) SDA,war SDA beliefs SDA commentary SDA commentary SDA preachers SDA reform SD Baptists Shepherd's Rod Sign's magazine Signs in nature Signs in social world Sin Sincerity 81attery--Geophysical Sleep Smith, Dr. Wilbur Smog Social Purity Songs-Music (2 folders) Song Stories Sons-«American Revolution Soul Winning Space (2 folders) Special interpretation Speech, Radio Spiritism (S folders) Spiritualism Spirit of Prophecy (5 folders) Spirit of Prophecy Enemies Stereoptican Stones Stories (SDA) Strange things Simeon Stylites Subscriptions Success Suffering Sunday Sunday-Mark of Beast Swine Sylvester Family Sympathy .‘1‘- Tabernacle Tact Talents Talks Television Temperance Temptation Teen Talks Thanksgiving This Generation Thoughts Thrift Time Tobacco Tongues Transcriptions Travel Trial s--Trouble Trifles Trinity Trust 365 Truthfulness Turkey Two Moms (Grandmother) .1]... Unions Undelivered PBS ‘ UNESCO U.N. United States Unity .v. Value of things Vegetarian diet Vicarious Filii Dei Victorious Life Virgin Mary ..w- Waldenses 366 APPENDIX IV - Continued War (2 folders) Washborn, Trinity WMC Alumni Week of Prayer Welfare Work, SDA Wesley, John and Charles White, B. G. Wilkinson, B. G. Wills and Legacies Will and Will Power Wine Witness of Spirit Work Worry Workers and worker's meetings .Y. Youthm-Cond it ions , pos s ib i1 it ies -2- Zionism ' '7 3715‘ .. ._,‘. 367 Fullsm .Hu-E .. annualun ammom omlmim v00 mmunuunu oocouooao mn-o-- euaom smlnlm sensuous: animal: ovum umlmlm «snowmen annualm vamnoum oaINNINH ”asuuomnos nanomln nodueaomom .n memos saunwm ..‘J a e. 4i. .Ihrflisulual .P_ octane ”cowmwuom cumuluso annouua "nu uemuom mnlmlo "3oz soon u.con caisson "meow uooam meow enuauuna Aeosueoz op omosu< one o: new one unnanum ”3oz weoa om u.aos an animate "mafia o.uH omomnsm ae.a-«~ ”no>ooom unease managing ”smash museum us>oz «atomic ”magmasoo< oomuu mnoaumsunoxm mmAHHB zozmum > 533mm< ooimtaa «acmwum am so» 09¢ oouhlm «mounshmm—mz sow ou< wmnmlo~ eeosmafiom 3oz < ones as on emuos-o~ aooooaooo onooo one on annual” seoooooeou on oHnos one sass «misla wuouusm unooonsn may on baa amiss:— encmsm 5 26:3 so» on malnlnn «osmz know on vans malonlm «unomuom no seam Neimulm aoes>se unseen noose no: unoauuesm .oH 368 .. "alts-v.11}? .l'x i.||1|J1|’ v oouen-- :suoao on: osoeom «3: Donnie 2.88 was ueaom uo Booms“: one: antenna :oaom momnofim asshs unumnnuu :uomnoa oz saga om anmnm sweep: animal: ::s>eom nu moo a an «monk: animato— :swm useouo>o monk: ualomuua cosmo 08.3. 05. odd: oclauln :02 uo communsosum nu: me.nann :noeooz sea oHoeom: ee.usun :. . . ooo one: mummunm Housumwuum wmlnlm oxwu< ~H¢ ou< m3 Rmumgunfi so: uemsm on» nos. nonon om amuauiu mow mamu>um msonouun< antenna assume any mamo>um moo nmunste ham use nu wesaoo n.onsoeu no woman one chmanm ...—0323 H33 moo anemone untold" sank oaoo mouoonmonm ualelm mmucmsoounwum uou son on» no one on» ensues . metals huuonwa «o uonus< ssh moo Nauannm «sumac no>oum mowumsonumx mucosoumum swamp—WWW meanwucoo I > *Hszmm< animals nowm:00m< mo unsoz sea soup antenna mmouo on... no use 23 so «must: mxnmm hauoum m.:mvu0h no smlnula :oHuoouuzmom uo ammumo sea an nslsuim u>muu e.uu:uou< ou ogvmuo m.uoeuoa< Bonn osisuln oz uo ousmuoaosou an malénld :GOB<: OH :flH: 38% saints P5550 use moo you maneulom amwunmm.au unaunu nuns nalmulh undocumm EH a: scan mommucm amnOMuanomoum 369 . . . n . r! *1: , zonfirsuiu‘" alinb. emmfi .ooosoooa mommonuus so>om coaom muomm nopom maooshm no>om ones .sson oeoooa oooo< one; #9094 0>0H~0m can u 600 90.53 «ensues uaon< 0>0wuom flax a 68 00:3 Rosana oeo ozone ooossom no: a zoo one: «moo sooo< o>oa~om no: o coo ooze neon .oesn moo m.vuoa oak mono: o.vuoa ens xoom o.ouoa oak .335 o .33 o5. omsom o.muoa man "so” .eoooz snowshoeoo noose: «o semen uo moomum unouosd no noxooueooom no ooauaa nowuom em-mum osonosasssH oeo messages animunm oocmasns< no no oocom < nous.” mm Rosanne Amunuuun oswwca omouo one Asuouuh omom mooooam oak oeo .oooS o5. .xoom o6. wsloln mooaoh oounh cu saga motonuo noooo mo noeooooeone one saint“ muo>oom3 m «use: 5333 .u . «ensuuun essences son on: mousse ooo eons NaumHIo~ o~u03 onu H~< mes hcmsuoo uo>o uw< mwz.su weanoooum .u maowa< oomph no goons»: onh moHowH onwana mosaduaoo u > anzmmm< .oH .N mmumnnon ooxowz on» no unosnmwnsm ssh nnimln aswcoaawz manwm 0&9 «muons season so Roses>mn oea antasoa nuwom an moosoaooonwmm seamnna oonowow one ouowm onh oauaunn oooeo ado: one m3INNIs anmmm munn och ee.o«uo season so oweaooouom one nanumuum vo>mm om oh so: «almnlon now no o>oa 05H mosses ooowoom Hoeosoeo>eoo .o~ .H 370 mason oommm am an: omen :osuommeo so om o no uouoom o.=mwumwu£o onH ucoxown «mumulun maoauouoo m noose oeoeeooo omumtn canoe one as moose onoooooo one mosses soon voscwuaoo I > KHDzmmm< 371 APPENDIX VI SUBSTANCE WTLINE OF H. M. S. RICHARIB' SERMON Introduction A. There are people alive on earth today'who have no birthday. 1. 2. 3. "What Jesus Said About Himself” ‘7 --that is, no record was made of their birthday, or the record has been lost, or in some other way the actual date of their birth has been forgotten. Yet the fact that they are alive proves that they were born. They do have a birthday, if they only knew‘when it is. .‘n- .“nau‘flwroi Jar—3‘. -39..» .- ‘T - a Nobody knows the exact day that Jesus was born. 1. 2. But 1. 2. 3. l. 2. For has 1. If it had been very important for us to know, surely the record of it would have been clear in the Holy Scriptures. Ancient traditions have suggested various dates as Christ's birthday, among them the twenty-fifth of December, which is popularly called Christmas. we know that Jesus was born. Thousands of people saw Him. He healed the sick, raised the dead, spoke as ”never man spake" before or since. (John 7:“6). Therefore He was born, and we thank God for it. was "God with us.” The ancient prOphet Isaiah had declared: "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”--Matthew 1:23 That prophecy3‘written seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, was truly fulfilled. He was Emmanuel. He was "God with us.” large numbers of people, this part of the advent story lost its meaning. Illustration: - A Life photographer had been sent to San Roco in Italy to get pictures of the Tintoretto nativity murals. He failed in trying to photograph the murals in natural color. He used every conceivable- APPENDIX VI - Continued 372 kind of light, but was not successful. Careful examination revealed that the murals had been overlaid with four centuries of varnish, dirt, and dust. The radiant beauty of the original colors would not shine through. At last the photo- grapher tried polaroid light, and then the authentic colors were caught by his camera. 2. What a perfect parable this is of the real meaning of Christmas or the advent story! a. For centuries it has been overlaid with traditional varnish, with commercial dust and dirt, until it has become only a sweet story of a baby in a manger, for whom we may be moved with pity. . . b. Or the occasion of organized, commercialized, vulgar r“ carnival and celebration, so that millions today fail I to see the glorious, wonderful, jamestic, and eternal f fact of the Emmanuel, God with us. ‘ Body I. We are liable to forget that Jesus came, not to propound an idea, ,JJ but to do a work. A. He came to redeem a lost race. 1. For that redemption it was necessary that He take human nature, that He become truly man and yet remain God. 2. The incarnation, Christ's coming in human flesh, was necessary because of sin and to accomplish the atoning sacrifice of redemption on the cross. 3. Christ was God with us as a means to an end, and that end was our salvation. B. Did Jesus say that? 1. Here are His words in John 3:16: ”For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." C. Using this name Emmanuel, "God with us,” in its wider sense, the truth is that-- - "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto him- self." 2 Corinthians 5:19. . . D. Our Saviour came to this world as the divine Son of God in order to bring us eternal hope and salvation. II. ‘What about the pre-existence of the Son of God? A. Did His life really begin at Bethlehem? .1. His own words settle that question forever. Here they are ' in John 17:5: "And now, 0 Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” 2. That's clear, isn't it? He was with the Father before the world was. He was with the Father in glory. C. 373 APPENDIX VI - Continued 3. The twentybfourth verse (John 17) gives us the same truth. Here the Saviour says: ”Thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, God manifested in the flesh, the living Savior. 1. His birth in Bethlehem was not His beginning. 2. He had no beginning; He was never created. 3. His "goings forth have been from old, from everlasting." Micah 5:2. a. The Bible says that "God . . . created all things by Jesus Christ." Ephesians 3:9 r“”“ a. The starry heavens are the work of His hands. b. The earth is His, for He made it. We are told that-- 5 "All things were made by him; and.without him was i not anything made that was made."--John 1:3. 5 5. He was God's Word made audible and visible. § "In the beginning was the Werd, and the Word was ; with God, and the Word was God."--John 1:1. :9} 6. The Bible teaches us that he is-- g " . . . the image of the invisible God, the firstborn ”' of every creature: ”For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or princi- palities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: "And he is before all things, and by him all things consist."--Colossians 1:15-17 a. "Consist" means ”to hold together." The entire universe would explode into a chaos of atoms and electrons but for the power of Jesus Christ. His hand guides them in their ceaseless vibrations. b. In Him is the cohesion and order of the universe. The Bible says: . ”And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning has laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the works of thine hands: . . ”They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they shall wax old as doth a garment. "And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed; but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail."--Hebrews 1:10-12. 7. Jesus says: ”I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."--Revelation 22:13. He and He alone, could bring man back to God. 1. Only He who was God could, by becoming man, save man from sin and its wages, death. 2. He'who was equal with de must humble Himself as a man, even to death itself, in order to meet and defeat and 37“ APPENDIX VI - Continued destroy Satan, ransom sinners with the price of His own blood, and open heaven to a lost race. 3. He must become man's substitute and die in his place. “. He must be smitten of God and separated from God that men might be forgiven of God and reunited with God. 5. He must die that men might live. 6. In short, He was treated as-we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. III. Ubuld He do it? Did He do it? A. B. C. The Scripture says that Jesus who was-- ”In the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: ”But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the.form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: ”And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled him» self, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; ”And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." --Phillipians 2:6-11. Jesus was the Son of man, and He was the Son of God. He reconciled God to men. ‘1. we read in 2 Corinthians 5:19 that-- "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself." 2. He reconciled God to men by His power, His love, His mercy, His companionship, His truth, His light, and-His salvation. He recognized God as His Father. 1. When Jesus was but a boy of twelve, He recognized God as His Father in a unique way. a. When His mother chided Him for the anxiety and trouble they had been to in seeking for Him for three days, He replied: ”How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? ”And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.”--Luke 2:“9, 50. He claimed God as His Father. 1. In the words and*way in which He claimed God as His Father, His contemporaries, those who heard Him, understood Him to mean that He Himself was divine in nature. 7"? _- -. ...-tawnxm‘ _I. . .< - M“" In.“ { 2. 375 APPENDIX VI - Continued In the fifth chapter of Jehn.we have a record of a great miracle that our Lord performed. He healed a man on the Sabbath day--and what day would be more appropriate for an act that so greatly glorified God? Some, however, took exception to this and accused Him of breaking the Sabbath. "But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work."--John 5:17. a. Here Jesus was saying that the creative and sustaining activity of His Father and of Himself had known no cessation from the beginning up to that time. 1) ”Therefore," because of this saying, His critics f-R- ”sought the more to kill him, because he not only g broke the Sabbath (that is, in their estimation), : but said also that God was his Father." verse 19 ” b. In fact the original makes it even stronger, as it I might be translated that God was His own Father, 2 ° making Himself equal with God. . L 1) That's the way Christ's hearers understood it, Q j and they were right in gathering this to be His :3} meaning, not merely from the words ”My Father," but also from His claim of full right and authority to act as His Father did--in the same sphere of ceaseless activity and creative power. c. Anyone who reads the verses which follow‘will see clearly that our Lord Jesus Christ claimed to be the Son of God in an entirely different way than that in ‘which we become the sons of God through faith. We find another saying of our Lord Jesus Christ on where He declared, “I and my Father are one.” a. Immediately His hearers who did not accept his deity began to pick.up stones to stone Him to death for blasphemy. h. Then Jesus said: , ”Many good.works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?"-—Verse 32. c. They answered: ”For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man makest thyself God."--Verse 33. d. From this it is clear that Jesus claimed deity. This is what He said about Himself. What Jesus said about the honor due unto Himself. a. Illustration: Emperor Theodosius at one time denied the deity of Christ. When his son:Arcadius was 16 years old, the emperor decided to make him partner in the government of his nation. The great men of the land assembled to congratulate the new wearer of the imperial purple. Among themuwas a bishop named Amphilocus, who made an able address to the emperor and was about to leave when F. G. 376 APPENDIX VI - Continued Theodosius cried, "What! do you take no notice of my son?" Then the man of God went up to the lad . . . and putting his hands upon his head, said, ”The Lord bless thee, my son.” The emperor was aroused to fury, and exclaimed, "What! is this all the respect you give to a prince whom I have made of equal dignity with myself? Amphilocus replied: ”Sir, you do so highly resent my apparent neglect of your son because I do not give him equal honors with yourself. Then.what must the eternal God think of you when you degrade His co-equal and co-eternal Son to the level of one of His creatures?” And it is said that the emperor judged the reproof to be just. b. It was Jesus Himself who said that the Father-- ”. . . hath committed all judgment unto the Son: "That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him."-- JOhn 5:22 c. That is what Jesus said about the honor due unto Himself. And now one final saying of our Lord regarding His claim to deity. I. So as 1. 2. It is found in that wonderful eighth chapter of John, in which our Saviour declared Himself to be the Light of the world. b. c. To those who saw Him and heard His messages and saw His deeds, He declared: ”Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was g1ad."--John 8:56. These critics of His came back at Him with this: "Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?"--Verse 57. Then follows our Saviour's august reply, in which He assumes the title of deity: "verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am."--Verse 58. ' what Jesus said about Himself on this subject is as clear can.be. Who is He? He is God as well as man. Is this important? b. Remember, Jesus cannot be our Saviour unless He is first our Lord, and only the Creator could redeem the created. He who was the Light of the world came into our darkness that‘we might enter into His light. I‘ —_..~‘-—.c—_-...aro .ni-u-iu . - 3 . 377 APPENDIX VI - Continued Conclusion A. So Jesus revealed God to the world. 1. He Himself said: . "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." --John 110:9. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . ”And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten Father.) full of grace and truth." -.QJOM 1:1. lue 3. Jesus revealed God, and God is love. 378 APPENDIX VII A TRANSCRIBED COPY’OF H. M. S. RICHARDS' RADIO SERMON AS ACTUALLY PREACHED DECEMBER 23, 1956 "What Jesus Said About Himself" There are people alive on earth today who have no birthday-- that is, no record was made of their birthday, or the record has been lost, or in some other way the actual date of their birth has been for- gotten. Yet the fact that they are alive proves that they’were born. “fl“ They do have a birthday, if they only knew'when it is. [ Nebody knows the exact day that Jesus was born. If it had been very important for us to know, surely the record of it would have been clear in Holy Scripture. Ancient traditions have suggested various ; dates as Christ's birthday, among them the twenty-fifth of December, ‘ which is popularly called Christmas. But we know that Jesus was born. Thousands of people saw Him. He healed the sick, raised the dead. He spoke as ”never man spake" before or since. Therefore He was born, and we thank God for it. The ancient prOphet Isaiah had declared: "Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his hame Emmanuel, which means God with us.”--Matthew 1:23 That prophecy, written seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus,‘was truly fulfilled. He was Emmanuel. He*was "God with us." For large numbers of people, this part of the advent story has lost its meaning. Robert E. Luccock describes how dramatically this is illustrated in the experience of Life magazine in preparing its Christ- mas issue not long ago. A photographer had been sent to the School of San Roco in Italy to get pictures of the wonderful Tintoretto murals of the Nativity. He tried to photograph these exquisite paintings in . - natural color, but failed. He used every conceivable kind of light, but he was not successful. The colors just would not come true and clear. On very careful examination it was discovered that these wonderful murals of Christ's Nativity had been overlaid with four centuries of varnish, dirt, and dust. The radiant beauty of the original colors would not shine through. At last the photographer tried polaroid light, and then the authentic colors were caught by his camera. What a perfect parable this is of the real meaning of Christmas or rather the advent story! For centuries it has been overlaid with traditional varnish, with commercial dust and dirt, until it has become only the sweet story of a baby in a manger, for whom we may be moved with pity; or the occasion of organized, commercialized, vulgar carnival and celebration, so that millions today fail to see the glorious, won- derful, majestic, and eternal fact of the Emmanuel, God with us. APPENDIX VII - Continued 379 We are liable to forget that Jesus came, not to propound an idea, but to do a work. He came to redeem a lost race. For that redemption it was necessary that He take human nature, that He become truly man and yet remain God. The incarnation, Christ's coming in human flesh, was necessary because of sin to accomplish the atoning sacrifice of redemption on the cross. Christ was God with us as a means to an end, and that end ‘was our salvation. Did Jesus say that? He did. Here are His words in John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only be- gotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Using this name Emmanuel, ”God with us," in its wider sense, the truth is that-- r—-; 1“ "God was in Christ, as the apostle Paul said, reconciling the world unto himself.”--2 Corinthians 5:19. Our Saviour came to this world as the divine Son of God in order to bring us eternal hope and salvation. ' What about the pre-existence of the Son of God? Did His life 5 1 really begin at Bethlehem? His own words settle it forever. Here they “ are in John 17:5, His prayer. "And now, 0 Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." That's clear enough. Through Him and by Him God created all things. This is plainly stated in the very first verse of the gospel of John, if we compare it with the third verse. "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." Jesus not only made all things "but in him" we read, ”all things consist" or hold together.--Colossians 1:15-17. He is called the "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last" as we read in Revelation 22:13. He and He alone, could bring man back to God. Only He who was God could, by becoming man, save man from sin and its wages, death. He must become man's substitute and die in his place. He did this. He came to give His life. He who was--”. . . in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation,” the apostle says, "and took upon him the form of a servant, and 'was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore, God also hath highly 380 APPENDIX VII - Continued exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow." And they will eventually: We read this in Philippians the second chapter. Jesus was the Son of man, and He was the Son of God. In 2 Corinthians 5:19 it is written "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself." Jesus has told us that God was His father. "My father worketh hitherto, and I work."--John 5:17. He said, as we read John 5:17 that the creative and sustaining activity of His Father and of Himself had known no cessation from the beginning up to that very moment. "Therefore," because of this saying, His critics "sought the more to kill him, because he said that God was his Father." They recognized His claim to divinity. In fact, the original idea here makes it even stronger, as it might be translated that God was His own Father, making Himself equal with God. ”77' {— "w—wo..- ...».- We find another saying of our Lord Jesus Christ on this subject in the tenth chapter of St. John's gospel, the thirtieth verse. "I and my Father are one." From this statement they again took exception and tried to kill Him. The Emperor Theodosius at one time denied the deity of Christ. When his son Arcadius was sixteen years old, the emperor decided to make him his partner in the government. The great men of the land as- sembled to congratulate the new*wearer of the imperial purple. Among them was a bishop named Amphilocus, who made an able address to the emperor and was about to leave when Theodosius cried, "What: do you take no notice of my son?” Then the man of God went up to the lad Arcadius and, putting his hands upon his head, said, "The Lord bless thee, my son." The emperor was aroused to fury. "What! 'is this all the respect you give to a prince whom I have made of equal dignity with myself?" The bishop replied: "Sir, you do so highly resent my apparent neglect of your son because I do not give him equal honors with yourself. Then what must the eternal God think of you‘when you degrade His co- equal and co-eternal Son to the level of one of His creatures?” It is said that the emperor judged the reproof to be just. It was Jesus Himself who said that the Father-- ”. . . hath committed all judgment to the Son.” Jesus claimed to be God and to be equal with God. It's important for us to know that today. So Jesus revealed God to the world. He Himself said: ”He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”--John 14:9. Also "In the beginning APPENDIX VII - Continued 381 was the Word, that's Jesus. And the Word was God. . . . That's Jesus. The same was in the beginning with God. He was Jesus our Saviour. Yes, He revealed God, and God is love. "Alone, 0 Love ineffable! Thy saving name is given; To turn aside from Thee is hell, Tb walk with Thee is heaven! ”So, to our mortal eyes subdued, Flesh veiled, but not concealed, We know in Thee the fatherhood And heart of God revealed." -AWhittier. Have faith in God-- The Father by the Son revealed; Have faith in God-- To us the Son of man appealed; Have faith in God-- Through Jesus Christ our faith is sealed. Have faith, dear friend, in God. 7" A- n ASA" . __-.,__ m...—. —_‘—.___‘4 . I . ' ‘ 382 APPENDIX VIII A VOICE OF PROPHET ANALYSIS RBPONSE QUESTIONNAIRE AND THE STATISTICS DERIVED THEREFROM ”Voice of Prophecr' Listener Response Questionnaire Your help is urgently requested in completing this questionnaire so that a survey of listener response can be made. Thank you. F‘“* Name: Addre as: Male Female Race: A80: Education (years): ‘ '5’ Occupation: 1. How many radios do you have in your home? ONE: TWO: THREE: FOUR: FIVE OR DORE: NO ANSWER: TOTAL 2. How often do you listen to the radio? S ELDOM: MCAS ImiALLY: FREQUENTLY: NO ANSWER: TOTAL “28 2‘67 88 22 15 l 3 F3 (Frequently, seldom, etc.) 229 211 SM 1&5 a}. 3. What types of programs do you listen to? RELIGIOUS : MUS IC : NEWS : swarms“: ‘ NO ANSWER: fig? 51“ 3011 390 51 92 25 1376* *Husbands, wives, and children answered separately on the same questionnaire, thus increasing the total. 6. 7. APPENDIX VIII - Continued Do you listen alone or with others? ALONE: WITH OTHERS: BOTH: NO ANSWER: TOI'AL How often do you listen to The Voice of weekly, seldom, etc .) NEVER : S ELDOM: OCCAS IONALLY: FREQUENTLY: DA ILY: WEEKLY: NO AISWER: TOTAL: 362 253 179 _‘2 8112 — 17 80 12 3 28 26 5111 .21 8‘12 — How long have you listened to the Voice of Prophecy? 1 - 2 YEARS: 3 - 5 YEARS: 6 -10 YEARS: l -15 YEARS: 119 120 166 121 203 .12 8‘42 What station or stations? (Call letters) What time? How did you begin listening to the Voice of Prophecy program? (Invitation, ' advertising, just tuned INVITATION: ADVmTISING: JUST TUNED IN: OTHER: NO ANSWER: TOTAL: it in, etc.) 213 157 320 9 .129. :22 383 Prophecy? (Occasionally, 3814 APPENDIX VIII - Continued 9. Do you listen to other religious broadcasts? YES: 537 NO: 118 SOMETIMES: 15h NO ANSWER: ‘_22 TOTAL 8h2 — 10. What do you like most about the Voice of Prophecy broadcast? (Quartet, solos, preaching, etc.) EVERYTHING: 365 F» PREACHING: 228 g QUARTET: 121 SOLOS: “2 j MUSIC: 26 5 OTHER: 3 3 no assure: __§_7 ‘ TOTAL 785 a‘ j 11. What do you like the least? ...-I. 6:" SOLOS: 36 MUSIC: 10 QUARTET: 9 OTHER: 28 PREACHING: 8 NO ANSWER: 503 LIKE EVERYTHING: 232 TOTAL 8h2 _ 12. Are you aware of the Titles H. M. S. Richards gives his radio ser- mons? ~ (Example: ”A Burning Bush,” ”The Law of Love,” ”Are You Malad- justed?”) YES: has NO: 106 SOMETIMES: 101 NO ANSWER: 195 TOTAL 8h 13. Do these titles help you in listening to the sermon? YES: 521 NO: 11a SOMETIMES: 90' NO ANSWER: 117 TOTAI. 842 — 385 APPENDIX VIII - Continued 111. Do you feel that H. M. S. Richards' sermons discuss problems that relate to your life? YE: 660 NO: 12 SOMETIME : 88 NO ANSWER: _83 TOTAL 8112 I: 15. Do you find H. M. S. Richards' sermons interesting and easy to listen to? YE: 71:9 N0: 2 SOMETIME : 211 NO ANSWER: _él TOTAL 812 16. Do you feel that H. M. S. Richards' sermons are logical and easy to follow? YE: 725 N0: 2 SCMETIMES: 62 NO ANSWER: 53 TOTAL 842 17. What is your impression of H. M. S. Richards' use of the Bible? (Effective, convincing, too little, too much, etc.) EFFECTIVE AND CONVINCING: 689 TOO MUCH: l TOO LITTLE: 7 JET RIGHT: 1h N0 ANSWER: 91 TOTAL M2 = 18. What is your impression of H. M. S. Richards' use of illustrations, poems, quotations, etc.? EXCELLENT: 92 VERY GOOD:' 556 - EFFETIVE AND CONVINCING: 27 DON'T LIKE IT: 3 N0 ANSWER: _1_6_l£ TOTAL 8142 _ 386 APPENDIX VIII - Continued 19. Do you find that the words H. M. S. Richards uses in his sermons are easy to understand? YE : 7118 NO: 3 SOMETIME : 1 7 NO AEWER: _7}: TOTAL 8112 = 20. Are you aware of experiencing any emotion as you listen to H. M. S. Richards? YE: 1:97 NO: 103 SOMETIMES: 60 NO ANSWE: 182 TOTAL 8112 a 21. Do you understand what H. M. S. Richards is asking his radio audience to do in each sermon? (e.g.: attend church, establish a~ family altar, give your heart to Christ, etc.) YE : 703 NO: 9 : SOMETIME : 60 NO ANSWER: _72 TOTAL 8112 22. Have you ever heard H. M. S. Richards speak in public? YE: ‘121 NO: 361 NO ANSWER: 60 TOTAL 93; 23. If you have heard him in public, how would you compare his pulpit preaching with his radio preaching? . RADIO BETTER: 3O PULPIT BETTER: 7‘1 BOTH THE SAME: 277 NO ANSWER: £61 Tont'ggg APPENDIX VIII - Continued 387 2“. How would you compare H. M. S. Richards' preaching, radio or public, with other preaching you have listened to? BETTER: SAME: NOT’AS GOOD: BETTER IN SOME WAYS: NO.ANSWER: TOTAL 25. Do you find H. M. S. Richards' voice easy or difficult to listen? Why? EASY: DIFFICULT: NO.ANSWER: TOTAL CLEAR: UNDERSTANDABLE: CALM: SOFT: MUCH FEELING: OTHER: HARSH: NO.ANSWER: TOTAL 26. What do you like or dislike about 11. LIKE ALL: PRESENTATION: DELIVERY: APPEAL: S IMPLICITY: s INCERITY: CONVINCING: OTHER: NO ANSWER: TOTAL 27. Do you attend church? YE: NO: SOMETIMES : 5811 58 S 5 .122 .92 722 7 1.1.: 251.2. 276 60 39 32 31 26 2 .319. 842 lb S. 333 27 23 32 37 #8 55 35 2.5.2. an: How 67“ 77 Richards' preaching? often? :12- r: (as. S 9 s t I! E d «f a 0 ‘g- ' 388 APPENDIX VIII - Continued NO ANSWER: TOTAL NEVER: SELDOM: OCCASIONALLY: FREQUENTLY: REGULARLY: NO.ANSWER: TOTAL 28. Are you a member of any church? YES: NO: N04ANSWER: TOTAL SDA: CATHOLIC: METHODIST: LUTHERAN: BAPTIST: PRESBYTERIAN: OTHER: NO.ANSWER: TOTAL 29. Have you made any spiritual or moral _‘12 8H2 == 16 36 72 27 550 22.1. 8H2 Which church? 721 71 50 8K2 517 5 Q3 10 “8 1h 85 .12_0 8&2 Isa decisions which you feel are the result of having listened to H. M. S. Richards' preaching? YES: NO: NOT SURE: NO ANSWER: TOTAL 30. Have you taken any of the free Bible by the Voice of Prophecy? YES NO NO.ANSWER. TOTAL 1:21: 137 26 31.5.5. 2‘33. Correspondence courses offered 526 213 103 222. APPENDIX VIII - Continued FAITH: 275 LIGHT OF THE WORLD: 92 BRIGHT HORIZON: 89 DANIEL AND REVELATION: 155 SENIOR: #8 JUNIOR: 69 OTHER: 35 NO ANSWER: 395 TOTAL 1158 390 31. Do you contribute money to the voice of Prophecy broadcast? YE: 599 NO: 125 NO ANSWER: 118 TOTAL 8112 32. Do you invite others to listen to the Voice YES 622 NO: 103 SOMETIME: 20 NO ANSWER: _91 TOTAL gig of Prophecy broadcast? 391 APPENDIX IX AUDITORIUM AUDIENCE REPOI‘BE QUESTIONNAIRE NOTE: Professor Wilber Alexander of La Sierra College in La Sierra, California, is writing a Doctoral Dissertation on the preaching of Doctor H. M. S. Richards. A part of Mr..Alexander's study deals with audience response to Doctor Richards' preaching. The following questionnaire has been handed to you for the purpose of getting your personal reactions during tonight's sermon. Part of the questionnaire may be filled out before Doctor Richards begins to speak. If you‘will be so kind as to remain for a moment after the ser- vice and briefly answer the remaining questions, your cooperation will be greatly appreciated. This questionnaire‘will also serve to guide Doctor Richards in his ministry. Male Female Race: Age: Education: Occupation: Church Member: Which Church (Methodist, Seventh-day Adventist, etc.): How often do you attend church? (Regularly, frequently, etc.): 1. Have you ever heard Doctor Richards preach in public before tonight? 2. From his voice, manner, and appearance, what kind of person do you 'think Doctor Richards is? 3. Do you find Doctor Richards' voice easy or difficult to listen to? Why? h. Did you find Doctor Richards' sermon tonight interesting and easy to listen to? 5. Did you find that the words Doctor Richards used in his sermon were easy to understand? 10. 11. 12. 13. 1h. 15. 16. 17. 392 APPENDIX IX - Continued Do you feel that Doctor Richards' sermon tonight touched problems which relate to modern-day living as you know it? Were you able to follow Doctor Richards' line of thought and argument? What is your impression of Doctor Richards' use of the Bible? (Effective, convincing, too little, too much, etc.) What is your impression of Doctor Richards' use of illustration, poems, quotations, etc.? Did you understand clearly'what Doctor Richards wanted you to do as a result of hearing him.preach? (Attend church, give your heart to Christ, etc.) Have you ever listened to Doctor Richards' broadcast, "The voice of Prophecy”? If you are a "voice of Prophecy" listener, how long have you been one? How often do you listen to the ”voice of PrOphecy” broad- cast? If you have heard Doctor Richards on radio, how would you compare his radio preaching with his pulpit preaching? How would you compare Doctor Richards' preaching, radio or public, with other preaching you have listened to? ‘What do you particularly like or dislike about Doctor Richards' preaching? As a result of hearing Doctor Richards tonight, have you made any spiritual or moral decisions? ' Have you made any spiritual or moral decision before tonight as a result of hearing Doctor Richards either in public or on radio? 393 APPENDIX X STATEMENTS OF TYPICAL.AUDIENCE RESPONSE TO THE RADIO PREACHING Letter Number OF H. M. S. RICHARDS, 1942 TO 1961, EXCERPTED FROM VOICE OF PROPHECY MAIL AND SPECIAL QUESTIONNAIRE Response As Found In The Mail Received Daily At The Voice of Prophecy Headquarters Audience Response "My husband would never listen before--only to yours. Says it is just like talking to God. ” VOP News, vol. I, December, 1°42, P. 4. "For forty years I have said I would like to hear a sermon on "We Would See Jesus." You can imagine what a gratified family we were Sunday when we hear a voice an- nounce that very topic. . . . It satisfied the call of years. This is the first time we have heard you. My hus- band and I would like to take your Bible lessons. Our prayers are for your work." VOP News, vol. I, April, 1943, p. 3. ”I am eight years old and get an allowance of ten cents a week. I save part of it for you. Here is thirty cents to help pay your bills so you can keep preaching about Jesus. Please pray for my daddy." VOP News, Vol. I, April, 1943, p. 7. "My husband and I work at North Island Repair and Assembly Can you imagine my surprise when I heard the voices of the King's Heralds coming from one of the tool rooms last Sunday night. I stopped and looked over the shop and saw many look up and settle to quiet work while the message came in. I was so happy to see so many listening. Thank God for your program." VOP News, Vol. I, May, 1943, p. 4. "We have made it a rule after we have listened to the broadcast, to kneel in prayer for God's blessing upon you and all the listeners. Do continue to pray for us." VOP News, vol. I, June, 1943, p. 3. 394 APPENDIX X - Continued letter Number Audience Response 10 "The three most outstanding impressions I receive from your program are as follows: First--the fine, clear, sin- cere manner in which you proclaim God's Word bringing your radio listeners very close to God and His Beloved Son, en- abling us to see the spiritual beauties that lie beyond. Second--your music is beautiful and inspiring. Third--we enjoy the peace and comfort that always flows from the million dollar voice through which the Lord proclaims His messages.“ VOP News, Vbl. I, May, 1943, p. 4. "It seems to me that the VOICE is doing the work of a prophet making the whole plan of God so plain to radio listeners and bringing the light into all the dark places." VOP News, Vol. I, September, 1943, p. 3. ”A few evenings ago I happened to hear your broadcast for the first time. It was entirely different. I want to tell you how helpful it was and what comfort it brought to me. For years I have listened to preachers and never have I received any satisfaction whatever on the subject you made as clear as crystal in a few minutes. Your explanation was so simple and clear that a child could have understood it. I thank you so much.” VOP News, Vol. II, March, 1944 p. 3. "We just can't miss the program. The singing is just beautiful, a foretaste of heaven. And the sermon is always fully explained and complete. There is no other broadcast like it on the air." VOP News, vol. II, April, 1944, p. 3. "Just a few lines to let you know of the great pleasure and satisfaction I have been getting out of your unique religious Sunday morning program. I've called it unique for it is unique. It has sound sense appeal, sound logic, and real meat in a spiritual sense. It answers religious and spiritual questions to which I had long sought answers and had never been able to find them. More power to this fine program.” - VOP News, Vol. III, January, 1945, p. . o-W‘Q-‘M we. .- ...m—‘wu-A- -- .m‘ - m “Oh” ”‘0“ d- 3 ‘U—. a.“ a... -\A.._..< 395 APPENDIX X - Continued Letter Number 11 12 13 14 15 l6 l7 Audience Response "I have been as unstable as water but your radio broad- casts have helped me to decide for Christ. I want to be a true Christian. Please remember me in prayer." VOP News, Vol. III, January, 1945, p. 3. "I want to thank you for bringing Christ to the lost and for encouraging those of us who have entered the Christian warfare against sin. Away out here on the bleak prairies of Montana, we do not often get to hear you; but when we do, we feel that we have really eaten at the King's Table. Your service has been an inspiration to us in our little shack." VOP News, Vol. III, February, 1945, p. 3. "I am an 80 year-old listener to your programs. The wonderful quartet, the King's Heralds, just thrills my soul through and through. Your broadcast brings me joy which I can't express." VOP News, vol. VIII, March, 1950, p. 3. ”As long as my radio holds out, nothing can prevent my hearing your program. I love it, and drop everything I'm doing to give it all my attention.” Ohio "Your program has given me a new outlook on life. It has warmed my heart and given me a feeling of peace and rest in Jesus." VOP News, vol. VIII, April, 1950, p. 8. ”It was my privilege to listen to your wonderful broadcast on November 14, and no words of mine can ever do justice to the pure enjoyment that was mine. I h0pe I can enjoy the same privilege again soon. won't you please mail me a supply of your radio logs so I can distribute them to my friends." VOP News, Vol. VIII, June, 1950, p. 2. "I listen to your program every Sunday morning while I am getting ready to go to Sunday School. It gives me an in- spiration that nothing else does. VOP News, Vel. VIII, June, 1950, p. 2. 396 APPENDIX X - Continued Letter Number Audience Response 18 "God has ordained him for his own As only God ordains No man made covenants nor laws Can bind him by their chains He sends love's message far and wide In accents bold and clear The wooing tenor of his voice Is music to the ear His message soothes the sin sick soul Driving the gloom away Leading the wanderer gently back To the straight and narrow way. Sinking deep in contemplation As his last words fade away We join his solemn benediction 'Thank God for such a man as he!" Poem sent in by listener, ‘ June 11, 1953. 19 "Your untiring efforts in bringing the Word of God to countless millions is indeed commendable, and I want to wish you continued success." Sincerely yours, J. Edgar Hoover January 26, 1955 20 "IT IS A PLEASURE FOR ME TO JOIN YOUR MANY FRIENDS IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD IN SENDING MY GREETINGS TO YOU AT THIS TWO-FOLD CELEBRATION HONORING YOUR SILVER ANNIVERSARY . . . WITH THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST PROGRAM "VOICE OF PROPHECY" AS WELL AS THE PROGRAE TWENTY-FIFTH COEECUTIVE YEAR ON THE AIR. I AM SURE YOUR MESAGE HAVE BEEN AN INSPIRATION TO PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AND I WANT TO COMMEND YOU ON THE FINE WORK YOU ARE DOING FOR YOUR FELLW MEN. WITH EVERY GOOD WISH FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS." RICHARD NIXON Washington, D. C. January 28, 1955 21 "I have always longed to know how to worship God in spirit and truth. I found the help I needed through The Voice of Prophecy." VOP News, April, 1956, Vol. XIV, p. 3. 397 APPENDIX X - Continued Letter Number Audience Response 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 "As I listen to your broadcasts each Sunday, I have come in closer relationship with my Lord. I'm very happy with the work you are doing. I have resolved to send you all I earn on the first day of every month during this year." VOP News, Vol. XIV, May, 1956, p. 6. "I heard your good sermon today. It surely was inspiring." Muncie, Kansas, October 14, 1956 ”I am so happy to tell you I am keeping the Sabbath. I was baptized in the San Bernardino Church July 7th . . . . I pray for the voice of Prophecy every day." October 22, 1956 "I must give the credit for my baptism and new found happiness to the voice of Prophecy and the Bible Corres- pondence courses, the one thing that really got me inter- ested in the church.” Stevensville, Montana, March 17, 1957 "Your program reaches my home each Sunday at the time I am preparing for church. I have found it so comforting and inspirational; a wonderful guide for preparing my mind and heart for the service I am about to hear." VOP News, Vol. XV, March, 1957, p. 4. "It is always our pleasure to listen to your broadcast each Sunday morning. We look upon your thirty minutes on the air as our weekly devotional. You are, in other words, our church." . VOP News, Vol. XV, March, 1957, p. . ”From listening to you every Sunday, I am a different man." VOP News, Vol. XV, March, 1957, P. . "Although I am of a different denomination, I have greatly appreciated the Christian zeal and dedication to purpose which is very evident in your church group in general. It is particularly true of the VOice of Prophecy. Certainly God is pleased with the genuine discipleship which exists among you. May He graciously continue to use you and guide you to His glory and the extension of His Church. I sin- cerely believe the voice of PrOphecy broadcasts to be among 398 APPENDIX X - Continued Letter Number Audience Response 3O 31 32 33 34 35 the finest, most respectable on the air, a real credit to the cause of Christ. They are truly uplifting and meaningful." VOE.News, Vo1. XV, March, 1957, p. . "Your broadcast struck the note with me that I have longed to hear all my life, uplifting a weary soul. I wish every one in the world could receive the help I have." VOP News, Vol. XV, March, 1957, p. C "It is with deep appreciation that I take a moment to drop you a line to state that while on my way home from Mass yesterday, I turned on the radio in my car and heard one of the most enlightening sermons that I have ever had the privilege to hear, 'I Am A Millionaire.'" VOP News, Vol. XVI, April, 1958, p. 2. "I am the Mrs. who won $32,000 on the '$64,000 Question' on the Bible, so you see I am very much interested in that great Book. I have read it all my life, and will continue to do so until I cross over to the New Jerusalem. My husband and I enjoy your sermons, and very seldom miss one. YOur programs are on our local station at 9:30 Sun- day mornings. I am very much assured that you are preaching the 'truth' and you do not deviate in any way from the Bible." VOP News, vol. XVI, May, 1958, p. 2. ”Thank you for the great help you have open (sic) my eyes and mind to many, many things about God's Word. I shall do my best to live by them daily." Newark, Ohio, June 3, 1958 "Just a few words to tell you that your radio sermons and books was the couse (sic) of my husband who was born in Turkey, and belonged to the Greek Orthodox chourch (sic). changeing (sic) to a Seventh-day Adventist before he died. . . . I am now living in and have been baptized in the S. D. A. church here." Charleston, West Virginia, June 9, 1958. "I have made the great step. Last Sabbath I stepped out of the world and began living for Christ. I joined the First Seventh-day Adventist Church of Huntsville, Alabama." Birmingham, Alabama, June 28, 1958 399 . APPENDIX X - Continued Letter Number Audience Response 36 37 38 39 4O 41 42 43 "I first heard your broadcast about a year ago. In a few months I enrolled in 'The Light of the World Bible Course' and that is when I truly repented and gave my heart to God and since that time have been honestly seeking knowledge." Kentucky, July 2, 1958 "I listen to your program every Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. I wouldn't miss it for anything, and will be joined into the faith soon at Bridgeport Church by Elder Baxter." Stamford Connecticut, August 21, 1958. "Heard your son a week ago and enjoyed him very much. Now don't let this swell your head, but you are one of the many radio speakers I like to hear. You speak as though you were right in the room with me." Florida, September 6, 1958. ”Thank you for the wonderful way in which you unfold the Scripture. Ybu make it very simple in your explanation, making it powerful and interesting to both young and old." Maryland, September 9, 1958. "When we miss your program, we feel the day is lost. Thanks for the better things in life." Oregon, October 4, 1958 "I consider the voice of PrOphecy one of the most outstanding religious programs on the air, several of which I listen to regularly. If it should become necessary for me to limit , my listening to only one program, I should choose the Voice of Prophecy. I think it meets the needs of more peOple than any of the others do." VOP News, Vol. XVI, October, 1958, . 2. - ' "I owe much to your program as I am one of your 1949 students brought from a bad life to know the Lord. I first heard your program while I was running a tavern in Wisconsin. I am striving to be a better person everyday." VOP News, Vol. XVI, October, 1958, p. 2. ”The sermons of Pastor H. M. S. Richards are so full of meaning and are so enlightening, inspiring, and encouraging, filled with genuine truth and feeling. I have also recom- mended it to my neighbors, calling them up just before your program starts." La Puente, California, January, 1959 T1 LJ 400 APPENDIX X - Continued Letter Number Audience Response 44 45 46 47 48 49 "There is no other program on radio to compare to the Voice of PrOphecy. Your voice is so soft and clear, so kind and refined." New Jersey, February, 1959 ”I love to hear about the Bible and have questions answered from it, and I don't seem to get what I'm seeking from the sermons I hear at church. Your radio program answers many questions for me and gives me a real lift. Many times I have been rather depressed and after listening to your pro- gram I feel so much better." San Bernardino, California February, 1959 "I find it impossible to listen to your broadcast for very long without having my life changed by its messages. YOu know my heart is in the work that you are doing. My daily prayer is that the voice of Prophecy will prosper." VOP News, Vol. XVII, March, 1959, p. E. "I listened to your program over the radio last Sunday. I have pledged to switch to that station every Sunday. Never have I been so satisfied with a sermon as after listening to your broadcast." VOP News, Vol. XVII, March, 1959, p. 4. "For more than fifteen years we have listened to your program over the radio. We have enjoyed them to the fullest. And more, they have given us peace of mind, comfort when we had sorrow, courage when we needed it. We wish for you continued blessings in your wonderful work." VOP News, vol. XVII, March, 1959, P. . "I look forward to each Sunday morning when you come on the air with your full gospel message. You make its meaning so clear and complete in every detail. It is a blessing to me, and gives me courage to keep looking up and going forward in Christ. Then I enjoy the wonderful music of the quartet and Del Delker-othrills my soul with joy." VOP News, Vol. XVII, March, 1959, ‘pe e ~ v -—._.____ _‘_ g - “-“,... n 401 APPENDIX X - Continued Letter Number Audience Response 50 51 52 S3 54 55 56 "Such singing and preaching I have never heard before! The sermon by Mr. Richards last Sunday, and the singing, did something to me. I don't think I'll ever be the same again." VOP News, Vol. XVII, March, 1959, ,p. 4. "We enjoy the music and message of your Sunday morning broadcast each week. It was through the Voice of Pro- phecy program that we became followers of our Master." VOP News, Vol. XVII, March, 1959, p. 4. "It just happened that I was dialing the radio, not for a specific program, but when I heard the name: The Voice of Prophecy, it struck me so forcibly, because I had long wondered why ministers did not preach from that portion of the Scriptures, they were always somewhat puzzling to me, when reading them." , . Monticell, Arkansas, June, 1959 "Dear Mr. Richards, My name is James Beach I am seven years old I like to listen to you preach on Sunday. My sister is helping me write this . . . May God bless you Love Jimmy" Sabinsville, Pennsylvania June 11, 1959 "Our radio is in the kitchen and we listen to your wonder-x ful Sunday morning program as we sit in the dining room and eat pancakes. In fact, in our house the words 'Pan- cakes' and 'Voice of Prophecy' are almost synonymous since we always do them together.” Maitland, Florida, July, 1959 "Ybu are responsible for our accepting the faith through your Voice of Prophecy broadcasts. In this last quarter my husband and I brought five more souls to Christ which gives us a total of eight, and this is how your sowing of seeds has multiplied." Oregon, July, 1959 "I just listened to yOu and the King's Heralds and Del on your program and how wonderful! The subject, 'The Law and Grace' was presented in such a beautiful, pat way. . . .” August 30, 1959 402 APPENDIX X - Continued Letter Number Audience Response 57 "You may be interested to know that we use your program ' on Sunday mornings as a church service for our patients. It is broadcast to every room. Many say that they receive such wonderful help from the program. Your preaching of Christ with the singing and music does untold good." Ardmore Sanitarium, Oklahoma November 11, 1959 58 "I have received so much help from your broadcasts and Faith Bible Course that I want to thank you. I have found my way back to the Saviour and hope many more will receive the same blessings I have." Noblesville, Indiana November 16, 1959 59 "I am writing to let you know that on Sunday mornings, half an hour before the broadcast, I telephone ten people, to invite them to listen to the program." Belmont, Masachusetts March 20, 1960 60 "May I also take this opportunity to tell you how much I enjoy your broadcast and what a source of help and comfort it brings to me during these days of skepticism and un- ‘ belief." VOP News, Vol. XVIII, September, 1960, p. 2. 61 "I wish I had words to express to you what you have meant to me the past two years. I've so enjoyed the broadcasts on Sunday. . . . Your sermons and your teachings are so full of common sense that I can accept them." Calistoga, California October 10, 1960 Response As Reported By'A Questionnaire Mailed To A Chosen Segment of Voice of Prophecy Listeners In The United States W Question- naire No. Audience Response 1 "Thank you for all your kindness to me and for your help and influence in my life, which I feel has helped so much." Peru, Vermont; 75; Housewife 403 APPENDIX X - Continued Question- naire No. Audience Response h 17 19 28 29 34 "I feel that H. M. S. Richards is a true Christian. He has been a blessing to me and my husband and has brought us to know Christ more." Noble, Ohio; 33; Housewife Seventh-day Adventist "I believe the Holy Spirit directs every sermon I have ever (sic) listen to by H. M. S. Richards." Los Angeles, California, 70; Housewife; Seventh-day Adventist "The Voice of PrOphecy is the only program I'm interested in listening to.” Pennington Gap, Virginia; 44; Housewife; Seventh-day Adventist "I would like to be baptized. I am 20 years old but do not attend a church, can you help me." Edgewater, Maryland, 20; None; None given. "I was brought into the church through the VOP and will be eternally grateful . . ." Redlands, California, 29; Housewife; Seventh-day Adventist "I consider your service one of the best, if not the best of all the religious services on the air . . . I think that you are doing a wonderful service." . New York, New York; 69; Housewife; None given "I believe everything Pastor Richards preaches . . . I slipped a few years ago but want to get back on the track again. Please pray for me, that I may make the change in my life." Lebanon, Pennsylvania; 43; Nurse; None given "Elder H. M. S. Richards is the perfect example of a fine and true Christian man." Los Angeles, California; 38; Bookbinder; Seventh-day Adventist ”H. M. S. Richards has a soothing voice. It puts one at ease while you are listening to him. He does not sound 404 APPENDIX X - Continued Question- naire No. Audience Response hard of harsh like a lot of voices you hear on the radio." ' Lynch, Nebraska; None Given; Farmer; Seventh-day Adventist 44 "I think the VOP is one of the finest broadcasts on the air." None given; 49; housewife; Baptist 62 "I am spiritually benefited (sic) by H. M. S. Richards sermons." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; 78 Retired; Lutheran 109 "I pray the VOP Broadcast will continue on and on for I'm sure it does lots of good all over the world." Orlando, Florida; 62; Housewife Methodist 131 "Only*wish there was more times than one day to listen to H. M. S. Richards and longer than one half hour." N Hartford, Wisconsin; 31; Housewife ‘ Lutheran 136 "I consider H. M. S. Richards one of the best Bible scholars I ever listened to." Little Rock, Arkansas; 84; Housewife; EpiscOpalian 153 "When I was extra "low" in spirit and discouraged, it seemed that a series of evening programs I tuned in on (one winter) sort of restored my faith and I felt in- debted to Rev. Richards. Somehow after listening to him I could go on living and feel life wasn't futile and empty." , Hamburg, New York; 62; Retired; Methodist 158' ”About 19 years ago a great sorrow came into my life, a friend asked me to listen. I did and also wrote to Mr. Richards. He gave me much help and consolation. I have considered Mr. Richards and his staff, my friends and have asked for help many times since. Clinton, New York; 71; Nurse; None 405 APPENDIX X - Continued Question- naire No. Audience Response 181 195 201 229 258 268 274 301 "Your program is very interesting; spoken in the people's language; Bible enlightening; and shows an attempt to bring to your listeners a real personal Christ and His true mission to this world. " Gloucester, Massachusetts; 30; None given; EpiscOpal "Appretiate (sic) Mr. R.'s original poems, and I collect them. Impressed with his kindness. I once saw a 4 yr. old boy waiting with a crowd at door of bldg. where the V of P personnel were to spend the night. The boy waited a long time so he could open the door for them. As mr. R. entered he stooped and picked up the boy and Stopped to talk to the child and the crowd. Craig, Colorado; 36; Teacher; None ”I regard the sermons as the best I hear. I try to hear 3 or 4 each Sunday . . . I cannot imagine better than your present program. I have never heard a sermon that was not perfectly plain and understandable." Meadville, Missouri; 85; Retired; None given "The one thing I dislike about H. M. S. Richards broadcasts is they are too short. I could listen hours to him." Bradford, Pennsylvania;-54; Housewife; Mormon ”I am thankful for the VOP. After I listen to the programme I feel better, I do hope everyone who listens receives as much good as 1. Grand Island, Nebraska; None given; Retired; Seventh-day Adventist "We feel the program gives us a lift for the coming week." Eldridge, California; 59; Retired; Seventh-day Adventist "I thank you and your religious group for the God giving enlightenments that I have achived (sic) from the Bible." None given; 34; Factory; Baptist "Elder Richards is doing a wonderful work and his program always brings help and encouragement." . Turlock, California; 70; Physician Seventh-day.Adventist 406 APPENDIX X - Continued Question- naire No. Audience Response 316 "I believe this is one of the best missionary projects in the country." Burbank, California; 46; Engineer; Congregational 351 "Daniel and the Revelation are fulfilling so fast. That I think of it as a guiding light to me.” Dallas, Texas; 69; Housewife; Baptist 356 " . . . I had to have both eyes operated on in 1950 and I can't read very much and the radio helps me a lot and H. M. S. Richards explains things so well." None given; 58; None given; None given 367 "If the Voice of Prophecy program would be cut off we would feel like we had lost a member of the family.“ Anaheim, California; 63; Bioanalyst; Seventh-day Adventist 383 "Continue the program it made me turn to God, maybe some- one else will be help (sic). Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; 29; Housewife; Church of God 437 "My husband passed away three years ago, he and I listened to your programs . . . and he through your sermons and your literture (sic) accepted Christ before he passed away. New Jersey; 80; None; None given 448 "I am 83 years of age live 5 miles from church out in the country. Go when someone invites me to ride with them. Sermons on Radio mean much to me. Think H. M. S. Richards' sermons are the best I hear." Merrill, New York; 83; Retired Methodist 460 "I just pray God won't let the old Devil put you off the air!!" Ocean Grove, New Jersey; 95; Invalid; Methodist 463 "Before I became an Adventist I was thrilled with all your programs. And in many a sermon I was convinced I was a 407 APPENDIX X - Continued Question- naire No. Audience Response 470 486 495 512 SS3 585 608 sinner, and by the Radio program and the Signs of the Times I made my decision for Jesus Christ." Columbus, Ohio; 50; Housekeeper; Seventh-day Adventist "Every experience I've had that has had anything to do with the VOice of Prophecy has been very satisfying. Keep up the good work." Suffern, New Yerk; 17; Student; Presbyterian . "I love to listen to this broadcast because it portrays the real living Christ and His word." . Chicago, Illinois; 39; Timekeeper; None given "I like Mr. Richards' sermons because he leaves out politics." - Chino, California; 75; Housekeeper; None given "I find Mr. Richards' voice easy to listen to because he preaches with faith and you get the feeling that he wants you to understand what he is preaching." Brooklyn, New York; 53; Domestic; Baptist - "Since listening to your program and taking your course I can understand the Bible a lot better and enjoy reading it more than ever . . . thanks to the Voice of PrOphecy I have found Christ again." Ontario, Canada; 26; Housewife; Catholic "My wife, a non believer, listens to your program also. I feel your program has done more to break down prejudice than any other influence." Congers, New York; 27; Biologist; Seventh-day Adventist ”I think you are wonderful. I look forward to Sunday to hear you at 9:30. It odes help a lot . . . It has help my home." ' Birmingham, Alabama; 68; Fireman; Methodist 408 APPENDIX X - Continued Question- naire No. Audience Response 611 618 719 824 825 831 833 ”I like H. M. S. Richards' voice for he talks to you instead of preaching in a sing song voice. His words are quietly and plainly spoken.” Roxbury, Massachusetts; 61; Manager; Methodist "I have searched a good many years, trying to understand the Bible, and listening to ministers of all faiths, but after starting the Faith Course and listening to Bro. ‘Richards on radio I am able to understand God's word better . . . ." Burlington, Michigan; 48; Clerk; Adventist . "I especially enjoy his mention of astronomy in relation to God's work of love. I also enjoy the endless poetry of H. M. S. Richards. ' Detroit, Michigan; 57; Writer; None given "I will let my'work go to listen to H. M. S. preach he make it so plain a child can understand. I wish he was on air for hours. He has such smothe (sic) nice voice." St. Charles, Virginia; 80; Housewife; Baptist ”I became Adventist through the VOP radio program and the Bible course. It's wonderful!" Gloucester, New Jersey; 20; Housewife; Seventh-day’Adventist ”I think the courses I have taken and listening to the sermons I have become more aware of the love of God." Pembroke, North Carolina; 19; Student; Baptist - ”Mr. Richards seems to me to be my friend, I've heard him every Sunday for years. You couldn't find a finer person and minister anywhere." New Bern, North Carolina; 70; Retired; Methodist BIBLIOGRAPHY 410 BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Albig, William. Modern Public Opinion. New York: McGraw Hill Company, Inc., 1956. Allen, Frederick Lewis. Only Yesterday. New York: Bantam Books, 1931. Baker, Alonzo L. Belief and Work of Seventh-day Adventists. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1942. Baird, A. Craig. Argumentation, Discussion, and Debate. New York: McGraw Hill Book Company, Incl, 1950. Brembeck, Winston Lamont, and Howell, William Smiley. Persuasion. New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1952. Broadus, John A. On the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1944. (Revised by Jesse Burton Weatherspoon). Church Manual. General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 1959. Commager, Henry Steele. The American Mind. New'Haven: Yale University Press, 1953. Cooper, Lane. The Rhetoric of Aristotle. New York: Appleton-Century-. Crofts, Inc., 1932. Cottrell, Roy F. Forward in Faith. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1945. Gabriel, Ralph Henry. The Course of American Democratic Thought. New York: The Ronald Press Company, 1940. Hofstadter, Richard; Miller, William, and Aaron, Daniel. The United States, The History of a Republic. New'Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1957. Leuchtenburg, William E. The Perils of Prosperity, 1914-32. Illinois: The University of Chicago Press, 1958. Lindsley, Charles Frederick. Radio and Television Communication. New York: McGraw Hill Book Company, Ind., 1952. 411 Link, Arthur 3.. American Epoch, A History of the United States Since the 1890's. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1955. McBurney, James H., O'Neill, James M., and Mills, Glen E. Argumentation - and Debate. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1951. Mbnroe, Alan H. Principles and Types of Speech. New Ybrk: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1955. Nichols, Jeannette P. Twentieth Century United States. New York: D. Appleton-Century Company, 19u3. Oliver, Robert T. and Cortright, Rupert L. Effective Speech. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1961. Richards, H.'M. S. Feed My_Sheep. Washington, D. C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1958. . Radio Manual. Takoma Park: Review and Herald, c. 1936. Schlesinger, Arthur. History of American Life. New Ybrk: The Macmillan Company, 1929. Sperry, Willard L. Religion in America. New York: The Macmillan Company, 19% . Thonssen, Lester, and Baird, A. Craig. Speech Criticism. New Ybrk: The Ronald Press Company, 1948. Tippett, H. M. People of the Book. washington, D. C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1961. Willis, Edgar E. Foundations in Broadcasting. New York: Oxford University Press, 1951. Wish, Harvey. Contemporary America, The National_§cene Since 1900. New York: Harper 8: Brothers Publisher, 1955. Articles and Periodicals Brigance, W. N. "Whither Research," The Quarterlnyournal of Speech, XIX, November, 1933. Broadcaster's Exchange, February, l9h8. Delatield, D. A. "Television is Coming!” voice of Prophecnyews, IV, August, 1945. . "The Bible Correspondence Course a Success," voice of PrOphecy News, V, February, l9u6. "The Year l9h6 in Vbice of Prophecy History,” Voice of PrOphecy News, V, December, 1946. #12 Detamore, Fordyce. "A Year of Progress," Voice of PrOphecy News, II, Guy, Fritz. "Twenty-five Years a Radio Preacher," Youth's Instructor, 103, May 3, 1955. Maxwell, Arthur S. "Religion by Radio," Signs of the Times, 82, January 18, 1955. Perkins, Jeanne. "From Small Beginnings,“ Voice of Prophecy News, x, January, 1952. Reid, Loren D. "The Perils of Rhetorical Criticism," The_9uarterly Journal of Speech, XXX, December, l9hh. Ross, Mildred. "Worldwide Radio Ministry,” TV-Radio Life, November 12, 195“. ”Suburbia Churches," Time, LxXI, January 27, 1958. ”The Pastor Who Beat the Undertaker," People, February 10, 195“. "The President,” Sligonian Annual, May, 1919. Thonssen, Lester, and Baird, A. Craig. "Methodology in the Criticism of the Public Address," The Quarterly Journal of Speech, XXXIII, February, l9h7. Thurber, Merwin R. "Silver Anniversary of the Voice of Prophecy," The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, 131, September 15, l95h. VOice of Prophecy News, I, December, l9h2. voice of Prophecy News, II, March, l9h3. voice of Prophecy News, III, January, l9u5. 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Board Minutes of the Voice of Prophecy, January, 1956. 5 letter from Charleston, West Virginia voice of Prophecy listener, E June 9, 1958. “ letter from the Registrar's Office, Campion Academy, Loveland, Colorado, May 2“, 1961. Minutes of the General Conference Committee of the Seventh-day Adventist church, August, 19u1. Minutes of the General Conference Committee of the Seventh-day Adventist church, October, 1941. Miscellaneous Reports, Vbice of Prophecy, 1960. Special Summary of Baptisms by the voice of Prophecy, 1960. Voice of Prophecy Monthly Records, 1959. Vbice of Prophecy Operating Budget, 1960. Unpublished Materials Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Vbice of Prophecy. Revised 195“. Fact Sheet on H. M. S. Richards. Mimeographed by the VOice of Prophecy Department of Public Relations, 1960. Official Transcript of H. M. S. Richards' College years, washington ‘Missionary College, Takoma Park, Maryland, May 26, 1919. Penner, Jonathan. am "The Radio Preaching of H. M. S. Richards." Unpublished Master's thesis, Purdue University, 1958. Personal Service Record of H. M. S. Richards, 1919-1961. Richards, H. M. S. voice of Prophecy Radio Sermons for the years 1942-1962. Fact Sheet, 1957. voice of Prophecy Fact Sheet, 1960. Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview H. Interview of with with with with with with with with with with with with with with with M. S. Interviews Richards, Richards , Richards, Richards, Richards, Richards, Richards, Richards, Richards, Richards, Richards, Richards, Richards, Richards, January 14, 1960. January 21, 1960. February 13, 1960. February 28, 1960. March 6, 1960. March 12, 1960. May 15, 1960. March 6, 1960. April 10, 1960. April 24, 1960. May 15, 1960. June 19, 1960. February 26, 1961. June 27, 1961. Mrs. Florence L. Alsberg, Editorial Secretary to M. S. Richards, August 8, 1960. with Brad Braley, Tape coordinator and Organist for the VOice Prophecy’broadcast, August 8, 1960. Interview with James Chase, Associate Secretary of the Radio-Television department of the Seventh-day Adventist church, April 15, 1958. Interview with Margaret Fuller, Private Secretary to H. M. S. Richards, August 7, 1961. #15 Interview with I. E. Gillis, Secretary-Treasurer for the Voice of PrOphecy broadcast, August 8, 1960. Interview between H. M. S. Richards and Fritz Guy, November 18, 1954. Interview“with W. S. Jesske, voice of Prophecy Chairman of Biblical Research, August 7, 1961. Interview'with Ruth Johnson of the Milton Carlsen Advertising Agency in Los Angeles, California, August 8, 1960. Interview with Douglas V. Pond, Voice of Prophecy Director of Public Relations, August ll, 1960. Interview with Douglas V. Pond, November 10, 1960. Interview with Douglas V. Pond, February 26, 1961. Interview with Mrs. H. M. J. Richards, mother of H. M. S. Richards, January 12, 1960. UN an?“ 3 03058 0902 IllllHLHI(”JIMWIIIIUWIIIIUUIMIIHWINIIIII]