In the Spring of 1877, popular protestant evangelist D.L. Moody was in the midst of a travelling revival in New England. Overwhelming crowds flocked to hear Moody preach, the interest being piqued by newspaper headlines and stories about the self educated former shoe salesman. As Bruce Evanson states in his 1999 article on the New England revivals, "Moody's use of the media and the media's use of him anticipates the the century mass media revivals of Billy Sunday, Billy Grah and a coterie of televangelists." Moody was not himself a formally trained preacher. He had been born in Massachusetts. and had migrated to the Chicago area before the Civil War.
Having been involved in YMCA during and after the Civil War, Moody remained in the Chicago area until 1873. Building off of his experiences in services held by the Y in the 1860s, Moody borrowed that methodology as he went throughout the country. Most ministers had been reluctant to "force" a revival on the surrounding community. However, Moody's use of media was not completely without precedent. Both George Whitfield and John Wesley had used such methods in the 18th Century Great Awakening. Additional revivals, like those of Charles Finney, in the early 19th Century would go on to borrow from the methods pushed by Whitefield and others.
Moody was approaching evangelism from the perspective of a salesman. He had experience fundraising and approaching donors for support of his efforts with the YMCA. Also, Moody had begun to gather support for evangelistic work across denominational boundaries. This collaborative effort was something relatively new. When Moody preached in Boston in 1877, the Boston Journal stated that at least seventy-eight local congregations were supporting Moody's preaching effort. Moody would meet with the local press to promote the upcoming revival meetings. He was not afraid to use the tools available to him to spread the Gospel.
Later in life, Moody would go on to build three different schools using his fundraising network. A boys' and a girls' college were both built in Massachusetts, with a third Bible institute being built in Chicago. However, after 1880, Moody's star was descending. He was no longer the leading figure he had been. A rising generation of more sophisticated men were passing him by. Moody, after gaining such notoriety with his preaching method, was not too simple for an increasingly more complicated time.
Evensen, Bruce. "'It Is a Marvel to Many People': Dwight L. Moody, Mass Media, and the New England": The New England Quarterly, (Jun., 1999), pp. 251-274
http://www.jstor.org/stable/366873
Findlay, James. "Education and Church Controversy: The Later Career of Dwight L. Moody"
The New England Quarterly, (Jun., 1966), pp. 210-232
http://www.jstor.org/stable/363278
Findlay, James. "Moody, "Gapmen," and the Gospel: The Early Days of Moody Bible Institute" Church History, (Sep., 1962), pp. 322-335
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3163323
Findlay, James F. "PREPARATION FOR FLIGHT : D. L. MOODY IN ILLINOIS AND THE MIDWEST, 1865—1873": Journal of Presbyterian History (June 1963), pp. 103- 116
http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/stable/pdf/23325917.pdf
Wells, Donald A. "D. L. Moody and His Schools: An Historical Analysis of an Educational Ministry" Church History, (Jun., 1973), pp. 272-273
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3163674
Having been involved in YMCA during and after the Civil War, Moody remained in the Chicago area until 1873. Building off of his experiences in services held by the Y in the 1860s, Moody borrowed that methodology as he went throughout the country. Most ministers had been reluctant to "force" a revival on the surrounding community. However, Moody's use of media was not completely without precedent. Both George Whitfield and John Wesley had used such methods in the 18th Century Great Awakening. Additional revivals, like those of Charles Finney, in the early 19th Century would go on to borrow from the methods pushed by Whitefield and others.
Moody was approaching evangelism from the perspective of a salesman. He had experience fundraising and approaching donors for support of his efforts with the YMCA. Also, Moody had begun to gather support for evangelistic work across denominational boundaries. This collaborative effort was something relatively new. When Moody preached in Boston in 1877, the Boston Journal stated that at least seventy-eight local congregations were supporting Moody's preaching effort. Moody would meet with the local press to promote the upcoming revival meetings. He was not afraid to use the tools available to him to spread the Gospel.
Later in life, Moody would go on to build three different schools using his fundraising network. A boys' and a girls' college were both built in Massachusetts, with a third Bible institute being built in Chicago. However, after 1880, Moody's star was descending. He was no longer the leading figure he had been. A rising generation of more sophisticated men were passing him by. Moody, after gaining such notoriety with his preaching method, was not too simple for an increasingly more complicated time.
Evensen, Bruce. "'It Is a Marvel to Many People': Dwight L. Moody, Mass Media, and the New England": The New England Quarterly, (Jun., 1999), pp. 251-274
http://www.jstor.org/stable/366873
Findlay, James. "Education and Church Controversy: The Later Career of Dwight L. Moody"
The New England Quarterly, (Jun., 1966), pp. 210-232
http://www.jstor.org/stable/363278
Findlay, James. "Moody, "Gapmen," and the Gospel: The Early Days of Moody Bible Institute" Church History, (Sep., 1962), pp. 322-335
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3163323
Findlay, James F. "PREPARATION FOR FLIGHT : D. L. MOODY IN ILLINOIS AND THE MIDWEST, 1865—1873": Journal of Presbyterian History (June 1963), pp. 103- 116
http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/stable/pdf/23325917.pdf
Wells, Donald A. "D. L. Moody and His Schools: An Historical Analysis of an Educational Ministry" Church History, (Jun., 1973), pp. 272-273
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3163674