Evangelicalism - American’s Folk Religion and Subculture

In Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory (1), Randall Balmer presents a picture in which Evangelicalism is a subculture within America, while also referring to it as “America’s folk religion”. Folk religion is defined as “religion which occurs in small, local communities which does not adhere to the norms of large systems” or as “the appropriation of religious beliefs and practices at a popular level” in the Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2).  Evangelicalism as described in Balmer’s book fits these descriptions as he shows the reader that evangelicalism is not a unified system that is the same across the nation, rather there is much diversity, not only in practice, but in thought (3). In the epilogue, Balmer opines that it is the popular appeal that better explains evangelicalism than the popular reference to a “mosaic” (4). Balmer visited eighteen different centers of evangelicalism across the nation and each one differed from another, although they held some commonalities, such as a personal conversion experience, the importance (and typically, infallibility) of scripture, and the expectation of an impending apocalypse (5).

Throughout the book, be frequently referred to the evangelical subculture in America, by subculture, I believe he meant that evangelicals across the nations, although varied in form, exhibit cultural norms that are not part of the wider American culture. They are a sub-set that can easily be identified because of their behavior and beliefs. It is often evangelicals’ literal interpretation of the bible that gives way to a list of rules that a “true” Christian (6)  must follow after being born-again that sets them apart as a subset of American culture, but also sets them apart from other Christian groups, like Roman Catholics (7).  Balmer includes conservative Protestants: fundamentalists, charismatics, and Pentecostals in his study of evangelicalism (8).

Typically, these groups all eschew modernity – not modernity in the sense of technology (here they follow previous evangelical innovators like Whitfield and Finney) – but in morality (9). In fact, several of the groups that Balmer interviewed/studied made great use of some of America’s modern marvels (Radio, Television and Cinema, and the Internet) to aid the spread of evangelicalism. Some ways in which they spurn modernity include rules about modest dress (10), the role of women at home and in the church (11), their firm views on reproductive rights (anti-abortion) (12), and their anti-evolution/pro-creationist agenda in the school system (13).

Evangelicals also exhibit some behaviors that tend to identify them as such: conservative dress; use of certain phrases like “on fire for the lord” (14) and talking about being “saved”; campaigning or generally supportive of republican or conservative candidates; anti-abortion efforts; emotional outbursts in church or when discussing religion; avoidance of “worldly” things like modern music (unless it is contemporary Christian Music); avoidance of alcohol, adherence to traditional gender roles; and a view that homosexuality is sinful (15).

As with any culture, the evangelical subculture has made contributions to the world in areas like education, music, art, and politics. Grassroot evangelical movements have been responsible for the creation of several Bible Schools, Colleges, and Universities over the years, as Balmer’s study indicates (Biola University and Temple University, to name a couple) (16).

US Governors Map, January 2013 (Wiki)

Politically, evangelicals can consider themselves responsible for the election of Ronald Reagan in the 1980s (17) and for the rise in votes for republicans as a whole. It is because of evangelicals that a war is frequently forged against women’s reproductive rights and who make the pro-choice camp nervous and worried of a return to the old days of back-alley coat hanger jobs (18). They are certainly a force to be reckoned with if our red/blue maps are any indication.

In the form of art contributions, we find the visual artist, Thomas Kinkade, who paints scenes that evoke certain wistful emotions and are considered not surreal, but unreal by Balmer (19). The paintings are meant to be a window into an idealized world – perhaps a window into a heaven-like beauty in which “true” Christians hope to find themselves one day. Another art form has been hugely influential on the spread of evangelicalism: music.

A still from Jesus Christ Superstar

As Balmer points out in chapter sixteen, the evangelical music scene was fairly static from inception until the 1960s, when it exploded (14). David Stowe brought this explosion into focus for us in class while he lectured on his book, No Sympathy for the Devil. He not only explained that the hippie generation, which was already heavily involved in the enjoyment of music, became a huge part of the evangelical scene when they found Jesus and converted into Jesus Freaks, rather than just hippies. He played some key songs for us so that we could get a taste for the sound and the words of worship and calling within the music. Voices of the time included: Love Song, Children of the Day, Barry McGuire, Bob Dylan, Larry Norman, Rez Band, the Jesus Christ Superstar musical and soundtrack, Billy Preston, Andrae Crouch, Edward Hawkins Singers, Elvis, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, and the Vineyard Group (21). Balmer focused primarily on the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) scene, which didn’t evolve until the 1990s. He interviewed the group, Jars of Clay, that was instrumental (pun intended) in the second evangelical music boom (22).

So, if you encounter an individual that is modestly dressed, witnesses to you about the fire he has for the lord from being saved (while listening to contemporary Christian music), and hands you a bible and tells you that it is protected by God and free of any error, you might have found yourself an evangelical.

(1) (Balmer 2006)

(2) (Bowker 2000)

(3) In a discussion about folk religion as compared to the Native Americans, Goustad writes, “Similarity of structure, however, does not imply uniformity in expression.” (Goustad and Noll 2003, 2) I found that there was a parallel between the variety of early native traditions and Evangelicalism as described in Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory.

(4) (Balmer 2006, 335)

(5) (Balmer 2006, 336)

(6) There are several references throughout the book (Balmer 2006) about the “true Christian”: speaking in tongues (or other spiritual gifts), xv; witnessing, 4; attending a particular kind of church (one that teaches inerrancy of the Bible and End Times prophecies), 60; followers of a particular preacher (in some cases), 78; can’t mix the Bible and “heathen” traditions, 220; and repentance and obedience, 241 to cite a few.

(7) Roman Catholics are not considered “real” Christians by many Evangelicals. (Balmer 2006, 4)

(8) (Balmer 2006, xvi)

(9) (Balmer 2006, 64)

(10) (Balmer 2006, 97, 108, 228-230, 231, and 237))

(11) (Balmer 2006, 41-44 and 161)

(12) (Balmer 2006, 44, 148-173, 190, 205, and 236)

(13) (Balmer 2006, 44)

(14) (Balmer 2006, 21 and 98)

(15) (Balmer 2006, 44, 81, and 205)

(16) (Balmer 2006, 134 and 323)

(17) (Balmer 2006, 82, 148, 173, and 299) and (Stowe 2013)

(18) I must admit that I am pro-choice and this is an issue I have been debating the sixth grade, As such, I have heard many accounts, over time, about what used to happen to desperate women who sought to end an unwanted pregnancy before it was legal.

(19) (Balmer 2006, 320)

(20) (Balmer 2006, 297-298)

(21) (Stowe 2013)

(22) (Balmer 2006, 293-308)

Bibliography
Balmer, Randall. Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory. 4th. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2006.

Bowker, John. "Folk Religion." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. Oxford University Press. 2000. 

http://www.oxfordreference.com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/view/10.1093/acref/9780192800947.001.0001/acref-9780192800947-e-2493 (accessed December 8, 2013).

Goustad, Edwin Scott, and Mark A. Noll. A Documentary History of Religion in America: To 1877. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2003.

Stowe, David. "No Sympathy for the Devil Lecture." East Lansing, December 2, 2013.