Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses 1972 The Rhetoric of Garner Ted Armstrong Stephen George Dick Portland State University Let us know how access to this document benefits you. Follow this and additional works at:http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Part of theSpeech and Hearing Science Commons, and theSpeech Pathology and Audiology Commons Recommended Citation Dick, Stephen George, "The Rhetoric of Garner Ted Armstrong" (1972).Dissertations and Theses.Paper 1627. 10.15760/etd.1626 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. For more information, please [email protected]. AN ABSTRACT OF mE THESIS OF Stephen George Dick tor the Master ot Science in Speech presented March 13, 1972. Title: The Rhetoric ot Garner Ted Armstrong APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE THESIS COMMITTEE: Stephen 10 okott, Chairman . Larry Steward .. . William Hamilton Garner Ted Armstrong is fast becoming a well known religious and political commentator. The purpose of tihis thesis was to describe and discuss the techniques·and characteristics of Mr. Armstrong's rhetoric. The question r to be answered was "What are the characteristics of a successful religious broadcaster?" The method used- in the selection of the speeches to be used in this study consisted of selectin,s a ,number('ot speeches (56), then breaking thea down into theme categories. Atter analysis there were eleven categories. One speech was selected from each category, and these eleven speeches were the apeechesthat were used in the study. The results of my study showed that Mr. Armstrong uses various forms of persuasive techniques, among them, for-example, the simile. The logical development ot Mr. Armstrong's spee'ches leaves a great deal to be desired. " He does not support his assertions and leaves the audience to supply a great deal of the support and verification for his arguments. His greatest attribute is his voice and personality. He has a very pleasant voice and his personal­ ity is similar to that of an ente~ine~. Possibly his inventory ot subjects is one of the mal n attractions of his He speaks, generally, on social problems such as broadc~st. pollution, crime, and drugs. He is a successful broadcaster, and quite possibly it is the combination of these char­ acteristics that make him so· successful. THE RHETORIC OF GARNER TED ARMSTRONG BY STEPHEN GEORGE DICK A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement tor the degree ot MASTER OF SCIENCE IN SPEECH Portland State University 1972 TO THE OFFICE OF GRADUATE STUDIES: The members of the Committee approve the thesis or Stephen George Dick presented March 13, 1972. tarry Stewa d APPROVED: of Speech David T. Clark, Dean of Gradua:te Studies March 17, 1972 iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work is dedicated to all those individuals whose knowledge and patience made its ,completion possible. Special thanks to Dr. Stephen Kosokoff. His unwavering patience and friendship far exceeded his invaluable advice. Also special thanks to Dave Jack. His and unde~Btanding assistance were appreciated far greater than can be expressed. And last but not least, to my wife Linda. Her encouragement, understanding, patience and support were instrumental in the completion of this paper. -- I . ,I I iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS •••,. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• • • • • • • • •• iil ,LIST OF TABLES...................................... V CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1 HISTORY OF BROADCASTING•••••••••••••••••••• 1 METHODS OF RESEARCH •••••••••••••••••••••••• 6 SELECTION OF SPEECHES •••••••••••••••••••••• 8 GENERAL PURPOSE: CHAPTER SU~RIES••••••••• 11 II. BIOGRAPHy••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1.3 III. STyLE•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 18 IV. LOGICAL DEVELOPMENT••••••••••••••••••••••• 29 V. CONTENT••••••••••••'•••••••••••••••••••••••• 48 VI. SUMMARY••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 54 ~ 57 ADDENDA. •... • • • • • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • .1 BIBLIOORlPHY••••••••••••••••••••••••••'•••••••••••,••• 56 '-.,. y , LIST OF TABLES TABLE I. THEME CATlQORIES OF THE 56 ••••••• Sa PROGRAMS~ CHAPTER OIB The need for a religious atfiliation is an import­ ant one to many people. It can be fulfilled in several ways. An individual may go to a local church, he may revival meetings, or he may listen to gospel radio att~nd programs. By listening to a gospel radio program, an individual can listen to the word of God, as delivered by the radio preacher, and thus satisfY a basic need for affiliation. Such a program is "The World Tomorrow." The speaker of the program, Garner Ted Armstrong, is the topic of this thesis. The history ot religious broadcasting is almost as old as radio itself. The very first transmitted sermon was done by Dwight L. Moody with the use ot Alexander Graham Bell's telephone in 1976. It wasn't until 1906 on Christmas Eve that Reginald A. Fressenden gave the 1 first religious oriented broadcast on the wireless. . The program consisted of scripture readfi ng, violin music, and some carols. While experiments on the radio continued, the idea of religious broadcasting went into a dormant period. Commerical progress in the broadcast field was stalled during World War,' I because the government controled all the radio transmitters. War were lifted regulation~ in 1919 and radio began a new iite. In 1921 religious , ,1·...Barry Sidell, Gospel Radlo, (Lincoln, Nebraska, 1970), 53. Bac~ to the Bible Press, p. I ' 2 broadcasting to the air in the form of a church re~urned 2 service done on January 2, 1921 over KDKA in Pittsburg. The February 1922 issue of Literary Digest gave gospel radio national attention. Preaching by wireless is more than a passing fad, for already, we are assured, it has proved at entlrely practicable for a man to sit home ­ even, for that matter, to lie abed if is so h~ disposed- and hear to the minutest detail all that his ears could gather if he were 8'ptually' present at the services.} . ; A complete historical survey would merely be a list of radio pioneers in the field and would not add to this study. The important-aspect, however, is the rapid grow~h that religious broadcasting experienced during the 30s and 40s. It began with individuals such as Paul Rader, and Charles Fuller who entered religious broadcasting as individuals and later retired leaving religious programs that are still being broadcast today. For example Charles Fuller was the founder of the "Old Fashioned Revival Hour" in 1937. While the program is now called "The Joyful; Sound," i 4 it is heard on more than 143 stations around the world. An example of one of the more powerful religious radio networks which developed out of the early days of broad­ casting is the Moody Radio Network. Its first broadcast was _2 Ibid,. p. 62. 3"The Gospel By Wireless,· Literarx Digest, February 4, 1922, p. 32. 4 Sidell, p. 69.