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 The
December, 1975 issue of “Human Behavior” reported the
results of an investigation of “The Billy Graham Revival
Machine.” Sociologists from N. Carolina State University, the
U. of Tennessee, and from Richmond, Va. were the investigators.
We detect some prejudicial wording, but felt you would want to
read the report.
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Many
sociologists and evangelists including Billy Graham, the present
dean of them all —- insist that conversion is a complete and
permanent turnaround. But the researchers feel these conversions
are really “ritualized reaffirmations of existing values.”
“In
this sense,” they point out, “the crusade becomes a
ritualized opportunity for people to show what they claim to be,
namely, bona fide Christians.” To test this theory, the
investigators and about 50 assistants attended a Billy Graham
crusade at a local football stadium. Through a questionnaire
they randomly passed out to 368 people, they found out the crowd’s
religious preference and affiliations, church attendance and
other background information....
There
didn’t seem to be many lambs who had wandered away from the
fold in the audience; 91 percent reported church membership. In
fact, over 70 percent made it to church at least once a week and
that’s 32 percent higher than a national sample of
Protestants. Promotion of the crusade wasn’t aimed at those
who were unfamiliar with church. In fact, 31 percent came with a
church group.
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Those
who made “decisions” weren’t older folks who felt they
should settle their score before it was too late. No less than
73 percent were in their teens or younger, showing that
conversion was an affirmation of individual beliefs.
The
hoopla around the impending crusade began 18 months before the
Graham organization hit town. There was a petition campaign to
convince the evangelist that enough souls were planning to be
saved to make it worth his while. Then there were media spots,
buildups in the churches, special prayer meetings and Bible
study classes, as well as training sessions for local church
members who would counsel decision makers. The “concept of
instantaneous conversion and Graham’s unique powers as a
catalytic agent” were touted all through this well-executed
planning.
Instead
of viewing crusade goers as the type who speak in tongues or
have fainting fits, the researchers note that they bore a strong
resemblance to a “large-sized type of Protestant church
service.” Instead of waiting for the spirit to call them, many
got in line to go forward long before there was a cue that the
“invitation” was about to begin. They looked calm, say the
investigators, not particularly ecstatic. Each decision maker
very deliberately filled out cards asking for the usual vital
information.
It’s
no miracle then that the researchers concluded that “changes
in values and behavior are gradual and slight, even though the
perception of the ‘convert’ may be otherwise.”
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