David Clary

An exploration into the history of prominent evangelists in the Evangelical movement in the twentieth and early twenty-first century particularly highlighting their relationship to the concept of entrepreneurship and the American business culture.

The author explores the development of major campaign forms of evangelism throughout the 20th and 21st centuries beginning with Dwight Moody, Billy Sunday, Aimee Semple McPherson, Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, Robert Schuller, Jerry Falwell, Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, and a few others. He charts the progression from fundamentalism to Evangelicalism, conservative political witness, and the more neo-Evangelical movements.

The author does well at showing how much of these evangelist's perspectives were shaped and formed not just by a reading of the Gospels but also the American business environment and animating spirit. He exposes well how so many of these were funded and supported by major American business interests. He shows how these movements have led to the particular Evangelical marriage of piety, political conservatism, and pragmatism, leading to support for Donald Trump and the present crises within Evangelicalism.

An important perspective on the mass marketing form of evangelism, where it's really getting its animation and ideology, and how problematic it can be.

**- galley received as part of early review program… (más)