A functional analysis of the content of the publications of selected Protestant denominations and their related agencies

267 Pages·013.579 MB·English

by  Jenson, Leonard H

A FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE CONTENT OF
THE PUBLICATIONS OF SELECTED PROTESTANT DENOMINATIONS
AND THEIR RELATED AGENCIES
A Thesis
Presented to
the Faculty of the School of Religion
The University of Southern California
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Theology
t>y
Leonard H. Jenson
June 1950
UMI Number: EP65195
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This thesis, written by
..... LeDnar.d.H-.—J.ens.QrL........... .
under the direction of ..J}™.. Faculty Committee,
and approved by all its members, has been
presented to and accepted by the Faculty of the
§&Mo'ol of Religion in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF THEOLOGY
laJl
Dean
Date.
Faculty Committee
Chairman
TABLE OP CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. INTRODUCTION . . . ............................. 1
The pr o b l e m .. . . . . . . . . . . 2
Statement of the problem. ................... 2
Importance of study ....................... 3
Definitions of terms u s e d ................... 19
Objectives.......... 19
Religious and religion.......... 19
Church............ ......................... 20
Propaganda............ 21
Education.................................. 22
Functional.......... .................• • • 24
Press ................................ 26
Organization of materials............ . . . . . 28
Review of the literature..................... 30
Methods of the study ....................... 33
II* SUGGESTED OBJECTIVES FOR RELIGIOUS AND
CHURCH PRESS ................................ 42
Purposes of the secular p r e s s ............... 42
Purposes of the church press ............... 53
Goals of the educational movement........... 73
Proposed objectives of the religious press . . 89
Difficulties of achievement of religious
press objectives............................ 97
CHAPTER
III. IS THE CHURCH PRESS PROPAGANDISTS?......... 102
Role of propaganda in modern l i f e ........ 102
The church press and propaganda ........ 117
XV. A STUDY OF PERIODICALS OF SELECTED CHURCHES
AND AGENCIES ..................... A 136
Content of magazines................. 136
Institutional aspects of church
periodicals . . . . . ............... . 148
Emphasis on church administration . . . . 152
Worship emphasis .......................... 159
Social action emphasis . . . . . ........ 162
Scholarly publications ................... 169
Content of newspapers ............... 170
V. A STUDY OF THE BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS OF
SELECTED PROTESTANT CHURCHES AND THEIR
AGENCIES .................................. 179
A functional analysis of books . . . . . . 180
Institutional aspects . 180
Psychological emphasis ................. 186
Emphasis upon wor s h i p .......... 188
Books with social action emphasis . . * 189
General scholarly emphasis . . . . . . . 192
Functional analysis of pamphlets ........ 194
Institutional.......... 1 ............ 195
iv
Church administration .......... . . 205
Psychological emphasis ................... 206
Emphasis upon w o r s h i p ................... 208
General scholarly . . .1............... . 212
Summary: functional aspects of all
publications .......... 213
VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS..................... 220
Summary . . . . . .......................... 220
Recommendations .. . . . . . 229
BIBLIOGRAPHY . 247
LIST OF CHARTS
CHART PAGE
I. Circulation and periodicity of Protestant
Hcwopapcra and Magazines ................... 137
II. Classification of Periodicals according
to Function................................ 140
III. Frequency of Issue of Periodicals........... 144
IV. Classification of Books according to
Inunction................. 173
V. Classification of Pamphlets according to
Function ............... . . . . . . . . . 196
VI. Relative Functional Analysis of Books and
Pamphlets.......... 202
VII. Summary: Functional Analysis of all
Publications . .......................... 214
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Probably one of the most scholarly studies of the
status of the press in modern society was completed in 1947
This work was done by the Commission on Freedom of the Pres
under the chairmanship of Robert M. Hutchins. It confined
itself to a study of the role of agencies of mass compunica
tion in the education of people in public affairs. Introdu
cing its study was this statement as to the importance of
the press:
nThe Commission is aware that the agencies of
mass communication are only one of the influences
forming American culture and American public opin­
ion. They are taken together, however, probably
the most powerful single influence today. The new
instruments at their disposal, which have not been
exploited by other agencies, such as the school
and the church, are making them more powerful all
the time. The inadequacy of other agencies has
doubtless contributed to the rapid growth of the
power of the press . . . The relative power of
the press carries with it relatively greater
obligations.11 1
The Commission primarily concerned itself with the
activities of the secular press. The principal objective
of the study was to determine to what extent the press of
America was free, or what measures might be undertaken to
give it greater freedom along with greater social
- Hutchins, Robert M., A Free and Responsible Press.
(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1§47)9 p. ITT
2
responsibility, To supplement and add to this important
study it is felt important to commence here the study of
certain non-profit agencies of the press, in particular the
press of selected Protestant denominations and'representative
agencies related to them.
I. THE PROBLEM
Statement of the problem. It was the purpose of this
study, specifically, (1) to outline In the light of the best
studies of religious objectives, a set of objectives for the
religious and church press as they will be defined; (2) to
determine to what extent the church press of certain selected
Protestant denominations and related agencies is educational
or propagandistie; and (3) to study selected Protestant de­
nominations and agencies in an effort to determine to what
extent the press of these typical agencies is functioning to
fulfill human needs and Interests primarily, or religious
objectives as they have been defined.
As this study progresses it will be seen that there
was a distinction made between that which is religious and
that which is of the chureh itself. It was hoped that this
study would clarify such distinction and show to what extent
the church was pursuing church goals, and utilizing church
materials and programs as contrasted with the broader defin­
ition of "religious,11 as defined here. Helping to make
3
clear this distinction might help to make the church itself
more functional or educational.
Importance of this study. Attention is called to the
statement of the Commission on Freedom of the Press, quoted
on page one, f,that the agencies of mass communication are
probably the most powerful single influence of those forming
American culture and American public opinion.” Such being
'the case, it becomes of tremendous importance to try to de­
termine what role the church press plays in relationship to
the problem of the press as a whole. It becomes of impor-
tance to try to determine the relative influence of the
church press as compared to the secular press, as well as of
j
the possibility of the church press expanding its influence
in public affairs. Techniques of both types of press, secu­
lar and church, become of interest, but most especially
their content and their purpose.
The effectiveness of any institution in society lies
primarily in its ability to serve human needs. It matters
not whether the church press, the secular press, or the ed­
ucational or labor press does the job. The most important
point is, of course, that it be done. The press, being the
important institution that it is, stands in a peculiarily
strategic position to do something about those large areas
of human needs which are unfulfilled throughout the wprld.